The Paedophile Information Exchange scandal reveals deep-rooted issues in Britain’s institutions and their handling of child safety.
Edinburgh: So, last spring, Alex Renton, an investigative journalist, got this wild email. It had a scan of an old document from the early ’80s. Turns out, it was a list of members from a group called the Paedophile Information Exchange, or PIE for short.
If you’re not familiar, PIE was around in the UK from 1974 to the mid-’80s, and they were pushing for some pretty shocking changes to the age of consent. Founded by a couple of guys, one of whom was a gay rights activist, they even had a magazine called Magpie that included some pretty disturbing content.
They managed to get their voices heard in the media, even appearing on shows like Newsnight. But after a bunch of legal issues, they were disbanded in 1984. Now, Renton had this list with over 300 names, and he recognized some of them.
He’s no stranger to this topic. In 2017, he wrote a book about child abuse in British public schools, drawing from his own experiences. Since then, he’s been collecting stories from other survivors, and his database now has over 1,600 allegations from more than 700 schools.
Renton believes there’s a serious problem in Britain where institutions prioritize their reputation over child safety. He’s seen it in places like the BBC and the Church of England. It’s like a bad habit that just won’t go away.
He even made a Radio 4 series about the issues in elite schools, highlighting how complaints often get swept under the rug. If things got too heated, they’d just move the teacher along and tell parents that going to the police would only make things worse.
Now, he’s diving into the PIE list, trying to figure out why so many of those names were still working with kids long after the police had the list. It’s shocking to think some of them were using their school addresses as their home addresses.
He found that the police had this list since the late ’70s, and about half of the names had some sort of sexual offense against children. Many were in jobs that put them in direct contact with kids, like teachers and social workers.
Renton’s been reaching out to some of these people to ask why they joined PIE. It’s a tricky situation legally, but he’s determined to get to the bottom of it. He recalls a time when a government report claimed no important people were on the list, which he finds utterly ridiculous.
One of the members, Peter Righton, was a big deal in social work education, pushing for a child-centered approach while being a predator himself. It’s just mind-boggling how these people managed to operate for so long without facing justice.
There’s even talk of a possible conspiracy, with some former civil servants recalling questionable funding from the Home Office to PIE. It’s all very murky, and while an inquiry looked into it, they didn’t find solid proof of a cover-up.
Renton’s been vocal about the need for change, especially after seeing the rise in child sexual offenses. He points out that many of these cases go unreported, and it can take victims decades to come forward.
Recent scandals at the BBC and within the Church have shown that these institutions still struggle to protect children. Renton believes that simply changing leadership isn’t enough; we need real legal obligations to report any suspicions of abuse.
He’s hopeful that new laws will come into play, especially after the Home Secretary announced a requirement for those working with children to report any claims of abuse. It’s a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go.
In the end, Renton feels that despite the changes, children in institutions today might not be any safer than they were decades ago. It’s a tough reality, but he’s committed to shining a light on these issues.
In Dark Corners, season two, begins on Radio 4, 8 Jan, 9.30am
