Darren Nick and, maybe, Esther

A stranger who rapes a child and runs away is a dangerous person who must be caught but he/she  is not grooming a child.

All child sexual abuse in the home, schools, church, care homes and clubs is grooming and it maybe the grooming of a child does longer lasting psychological harm than the actual rape. It must be that almost the first thing a groomed child learns is to want to please his/her attacker because the alternative maybe very painful even fatal and the abuse will happen anyway.

The experiences of Darren and Nick were told on Exaro News. Each approached Exaro and explained their abuse to the reporters who sent them to the police and then published their stories on their website. The same applies to Esther.

Exaro News should have done their own research made a full investigation into the background and previous record of Darren, Nick and Esther, had they done so it would mean that two thorough investigations had taken place and that would give police and public more confidence in what was reported.

I don't know if Exaro did investigate these survivors of child sexual abuse there are allegations that they did not and if that is true it is a serious lapse of professional standards but it does not in itself prevent or infringe the law.

The police are another matter the evidence they need is far more stringent than journalists who for example can accept hearsay and probability. The police can't they do need corroboration , actual evidence that can be put before a court and if as so often happens they don't get it the allegations will not even get as far as criminal charges.

Survivors are vulnerable people those who suffered years of abuse were forcefully trained to please their abusers. 

Its unfair and wrong to call a victim of child sexual abuse a fantasist and its wrong to say Exaro shouldn't have published the allegations. Exaro are the very reason so much attention if now being given to child sexual abuse and its many victims.

In many ways the investigation into an allegation of child sexual abuse is as bad and maybe worse than the abuse itself. Each occasion must b relived and explained to the police and media in detail. It must take survivors on a journey in time and in that journey they must relive pain and they also re experience the original grooming method and the need to avoid punishment by pleasing their abuser.

I may return to this subject but all I want to do for now is highlight something for myself that probably everyone already knows and recognises

I hope Darren, Nick, Esther and all victims of abuse find justice, peace and contentment in their lives