Tipping Points and the Accommodation of the Abuser: Ongoing Incestuous Abuse during Adulthood

Abstract

Until recently the widespread reality of ongoing incestuous abuse during adulthood had attracted no systematic research. The scientific literature was limited to the occasional case study and brief anecdotal references. This minimal literature was supplemented by biographical works written by or about victims of this form of abuse, and by press reports. With the advent of the Josef Fritzl case there was a very marked increase in the press reporting of such abuse, which in turn provided a reference point for more fine-grained data collection and scientific reporting. This paper introduces the subject of prolonged incest via the lens of organised abuse, summarises research on incestuous abuse and draws on multiple clinical examples to elucidate the mechanisms by which such abuse merges with, or develops into, variations of organised abuse, including that centred on the family, on prostitution, or on that involving abuse networks. The abuse practices, the networking , and the ploys used to avoid prosecution practiced by the father perpetrating ongoing incestuous abuse during adulthood have much in common with other variants of organised sexual abuse.

The abused and the abuser: Victim–perpetrator dynamics

“…In 2011, "Operation Rescue" was publicly revealed, involving an international police operation that destroyed the largest paedophile-oriented network in world history, one that had in excess of 70,000 members (Casciani, 2011). The following year, there was global exposure of the (mainly) child sex abuses perpetrated by prominent TV personality, charity supporter, and friend of Prince Charles, Jimmy Savile, who had amassed some 500 victims over a period that extended beyond 50 years (Middleton, 2015). In January of that year, the Australian Federal Government formally announced the establishment of a Royal Commission into the way institutions in all Australian states and territories had responded to complaints of child sexual abuse.…”

“…In July 2014, the British government, under sustained pressure from various politicians, and appreciating growing public concern, announced an unprecedented public inquiry into the processes that resulted in minimal or no investigation of the alleged organized sexual abuse of children involving 10 current and former MPs. A second broader inquiry was established to examine how for decades there was an apparent suppression of allegations of child-abuse involving public officials (Middleton, 2015). These inquiries have staggered, faltered, and still not fully taken shape to offer smooth and effective functioning.…”

Understanding Reports of Satanic Ritual Abuse

“…As the Pope was being called upon to resign by a senior bishop, one commentator (CNN, 2018) characterized 2018 as the "church's year from hell." I believe, that despite areas that require more accurate quantification, in respect to recognizing the extent of organized abuse, in this digitally connected age, we have reached a "tipping point" (see Middleton, 2015), where it is now impossible to realistically deny the widespread evidence of such abuse, notwithstanding the reality that we are now at the level of encountering rearguard "cover-ups of cover-ups" (CNN, 2018).…”

“…There are multiple examples of organized groups preying on large numbers of vulnerable children, e.g., in Islington, Telford, and Rochdale (Middleton, 2015) or Rotherham UK where an inquiry revealed 1,400 child victims (Middleton, Sachs, & Dorahy, 2018). Clearly in the digital age, abusers are organized and can find and communicate with each other in numbers that are unprecedented (Sar, Middleton, & Dorahy, 2014).…”

Organized abuse in adulthood: Survivor and professional perspectives

“…While disclosures of organized abuse have been the subject of considerable skepticism, supporting evidence has accumulated to a "tipping point" (Middleton, 2015) albeit to varying degrees. Internationally, there are criminal prosecutions in cases of multi-generational incest (Middleton, 2013), technologically-facilitated organized abuse (Wolak, 2015) and the ritual abuse of children and adults (Salter, 2012).…”