Medical opinion promptly got divided on the validity of the reflex and dilatation test. But there was no denying that Britain was confronted with a crisis of vast proportions; and both Britain and the rest of the world were facing a challenge to the stereotypes of abusers and abused. For the people accused were not dangerous nor lunatics but ‘respectable’ men of all ages and from all classes living in decent homes. Even the children generally showed no obvious signs of Child Sexual Abuse. As a High Court judge observed in the case which came up in front of him of three daughters abused by their father in Cleveland. The little girls were aged from nine months to seven years.

• In the case of each child, the diagnosis of sexual abuse is derived from a clinical examination alone.
• In the case of each child, the evidence having been distilled, the diagnosis is of an external penetration of the anus.
• None of the children has had a deprived upbringing.
• None of the children show any signs of a disturbed child, such as bed-wetting, withdrawal symptoms, overt sexuality or other behavioural problems.
• None of the children of school age has been noted at school as behaving other than normally and averagely.
• None of the children have complained of having been sexually abused in any way. Those that can speak and understand, indeed, have denied it.
• No parent or anyone else has complained of any of the children being sexually abused.
• The respective parents seem on the face of it to be estimable people. They were caring parents of happy families. There is abundant evidence to support that assertion by the respective parents and I, having seen them all give evidence before me in the witness box, agree with that finding.
• The local authority do not point an accusing finger at any particular individual as suspected of interfering sexually with any of these children.
• Lastly, all the children appear to have led entirely normal and protected lives, and all who can express their feelings wish to go home.

But the children had, clearly, been sexually abused.

A realization which struck the judiciary by force, as it did the police, social workers, doctors and other health workers. The 165 girls and boys diagnosed as sexually abused caused a complete collapse of the system not only because of their numbers but the incredulity of it. For many the only reaction was denial, for others it was anger at the doctors who had diagnosed the nature and extent of it. Realizing that Cleveland could happen, again, anywhere, British journalist Beatrix Campbell wrote Unofficial Secrets: Child Sexual Abuse & The Cleveland Cases. In this book she examines how the police, social workers and doctors brought their own, often conflicting, perspectives to bear on the problem in Cleveland. She also notes how society at large continues to refuse to believe that ‘more children are being buggered than battered’.

A few paragraphs from the book:

Another little girl bounces in to say, ‘My dad hurt my bummy and made it bleed.’