Organised Sexual Abuse.

Maitra, Dev R.

ORGANISED SEXUAL ABUSE

Michael Salter (2013) Routledge. pp. 208. Pbk 26.99 [pounds sterling]. ISBN 978-1-138-78915-9

Salter's first book, Organised Sexual Abuse, is an ambitious attempt to provide a comprehensive account of paedophile networks, their means of operating, and their effects on victims. Whilst Salter ensures that a range of academic perspectives are included throughout the book, its most notable feature is the presence of extensive, firsthand accounts from victims; often graphic, and always harrowing, it is the inclusion of these first-person narratives which makes Organised Sexual Abuse both compelling and disturbing. Salter provides a unique insight into some of the most extreme forms of group sexual exploitation, and through eliciting responses from those subjected to this abuse, he ensures that his book is an authentic account of a sensitive area of study.

Organised Sexual Abuse is divided into ten principal chapters, with each chapter containing various sub-divisions. Whilst this guides the reader through the subject matter, the headings and sub-headings of the chapters themselves are not in English. Although this is most probably a typographical error, it leads to difficultly when navigating oneself through the book, especially since the Contents and text of the book are both in English. With the exception of this oversight, Salter provides a comprehensive account of several forms of group paedophilia: ranging from incestuous abuse, to institutionalize paedophile groups, satanic child-abuse gangs and child-murder. Although Salter includes some data on the group sexual abuse of adults, the book's main focus is on child-victims.

The first four chapters provide the reader with a detailed theoretical background to the subject; Chapters One and Two present a review of the existing literature, and contextualize the current findings through including the opinions of practitioners. Chapter Three goes on to provide an historical account of the origins of sadism, child abuse and abuse more generally. The information provided is detailed, and is representative of the more sociological approach which Salter adopts throughout the book. Although much of the existing work on child sex-abuse is more psychological/quantitative in its nature, Salter's qualitative methodology provides this topic with a 'human' context, revealing abuse through the eyes of survivors and victims. It is from Chapter Five that these accounts begin in earnest, starting with a harrowing case-study of the author's friend 'Sarah', and her prolonged exposure to organised abuse as a child and as an adult. What makes this chapter particularly compelling is that the author himself was friends with 'Sarah' during a period of this abuse. He was, therefore, a witness to the aftermath of her abuse and the stalking she was subjected to. This level of proximity between author and victim of crime is unusual in an academic text, yet it only serves to increase the vividness of the chapter.

The following chapters contain the testimonies of several abuse victims, often including detailed recollections of the horrifying abuse they were subjected to. Readers who have not studied this area previously ought to be warned that some of participants' accounts are particularly graphic, although this is an inevitably when studying this topic; it is also something which Salter acknowledges towards the end of the book (p.175). However, one criticism of Salter's work is the absence of any perspectives other than those of abuse victims. Indeed, Salter concedes that "some readers may find it a curious or even unscientific endeavour to craft a criminological model of organised abuse based on the testimony of survivors" (p.4). This criticism, however, is not because such accounts cannot be believed, but rather, because including the perspectives of practitioners and other experts might have added another dimension to the text. Taking into account the tone and overall aim of the book, it clearly would not have been appropriate to interview abusers themselves. However, data from some individuals other than the abused would have been a desirable feature. One further criticism is the lack of methodological detail. Although Salter includes a four page 'Research Methodology' in the Appendix of the book (p.177-181) this feels like more of a methodological note. It would have been interesting had Salter explained, in more detail, how he gained the trust of participants and developed rapport, especially as this is such a sensitive area where victims often feel shame to discuss their abuse. It should be noted, however, that such a discussion is undertaken in Chapter 5, the case-study of Salter's female friend: in many ways the standout chapter of this book.

These criticisms notwithstanding, there are many positive aspects of the book. In particular, the issue of how victims often face scepticism for official bodies is a theme that runs throughout the text; Salter documents the 'rise of the "false memory" movement' (Ch.4), and how this led to endemic problems around victims of abuse not being believed. A further notable strength of the book is the strong theoretical framework which runs through it, but does not compromise the primacy given to victims' accounts. Although such data may prove shocking, the overall tone of the book never appears to be sensationalist. Rather, the topics are dealt with sensitively and methodically. Salter also describes, in detail, the roles played by gender and power in the sexual abuse of minors.

Overall, Organised Sexual Abuse provides a valuable insight into the abuse of minors by paedophile groups. It is accessible to both academic and non-academic audiences, includes a range of theoretical perspectives, and describes various types of group sexual abuse. Any weaknesses in the text are eclipsed by the rigour with which the subject is scrutinized, and it is clear that Salter feels strongly about this emotive topic.

Dev R. Maitra, PhD Candidate in Criminology, University of Cambridge