The Hunt for Britain’s Paedophiles
Part One
This is a 3 part documentary series following the work of Scotland Yards Paedophile Unit. The documentary focused on their work and the daily efforts to track down the estimated 200,000 paedophiles living in Britain. A BBC team spent a year or more embedded with Scotland Yard’s Paedophile Unit, riding along for their raids on some of Britain’s most notorious sex offenders. This was a three-parter, that unfolded at length, giving room to some astonishing actuality. A scene that stays with me showed an accused offender who decided to mount a quixotic counter-protest while he was being filmed.
Part Two
Trawling through literally thousands of pornographic images of children, their detective work involves looking into the depraved minds of these perverts, hunting them out and securing a conviction. It’s their job that ensures offenders never interfere with a child again and its not at all easy. The documentary was made from over two years of filming the Unit and, like so many of the BBC documentaries, it is incredibly well made throughout.
This reality never once spares the sensitivities of an unsuspecting audience – this is reality warts and all. It’s a side of life so many of us are totally unaware of. It will shock you to the very core. The danger of the internet, the manipulative nature of the paedophiles and the utter self-justification of their actions will shock and surprise.
Part 3
The Hunt for Britain’s Paedophiles which explores the issue with startling and highly disturbing honesty. Unsurprisingly, the series recorded the second highest ever number of complaints for a television programme (after 2001’s Brass Eye special), but to judge the series on its furore alone would be to dismiss what was probably the most affecting and disturbing documentary broadcast up to that point.
The whole thing is available here:
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq8zqDPmQxE
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JAQQF8TETA
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUT1sv-N8Nw
