In Dark Corners

BBC Radio 4

5.0 (2)
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Journalist Alex Renton is sent a secret membership list of a pro-paedophile group active in the 1970’s and 80’s. There are over 300 names on it. But where are they now?

EPISODE 1

1. The List

Journalist Alex Renton is shown a secret document, containing the names and addresses of people signed up to a pro-paedophile group called the Paedophile Information Exchange, or PIE, which was active in the 1970s and 80s. That’s not all: weeks after getting the membership list Alex meets a contact who gives him bags full of documents, crammed with reports, contact details, letters. As Alex starts following up on leads; detail of the criminal activities committed by some of PIE’s members, and those connected with them, begins to emerge. It’s a lot to take in. Alex is not only a journalist, he’s a survivor of child sexual abuse. All of this information about PIE; it feels like a heavy weight to carry. Are children still at risk? Alex sets off on a dizzying journey into the dark history of the Paedophile Information Exchange and uncovers abuses committed by PIE's members: teachers, clergy, social workers, government advisors. As Alex finds out more, he starts to wonder: where are all those hundreds of members now? He meets the former deputy editor of Private Eye, journalist Francis Wheen: he has a long memory for news and a nose for stories that people in power want to keep secret. What does he know about PIE? Archive credits: Newsnight, BBC, August 1983 Details of organisations offering information and support for victims of child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline Presenter: Alex Renton Producer: Caitlin Smith Researchers: Claire Harris and Marisha Currie Executive producers: Gail Champion and Gillian Wheelan Written by Alex Renton, Caitlin Smith, Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound designer: Jon Nicholls Theme tune composed by Jeremy Warmsley

29 min
EPISODE 6

This is In Dark Corners, series 2

In 2022, journalist Alex Renton told the story of sexual abuse and cover up in Britain’s elite schools, including his own. After the Radio 4 series aired, his inbox exploded; with people sharing their personal accounts of abuse. Last spring, and anothr email. This one came with an attachment: a scanned copy of a membership list for a pro-paedophile campaign group active in the 1970s and 80s. The group's name was the Paedophile Information Exchange, or PIE for short. The PIE List sets Alex - himself a survivor of child sexual abuse - on a dizzying journey into the group’s dark history. As he digs further, a source gets in touch; could Alex travel to meet him? During that meeting he hands him other secret documents, which build a picture of the criminal activities of some of PIE’s members: teachers, clergymen, social workers, government advisors. Alex begins to wonder: where are all those hundreds of PIE members now? Are children still at risk? Presenter: Alex Renton Producer: Caitlin Smith Researchers: Claire Harris and Marisha Currie Executive producers: Gail Champion and Gillian Wheelan Story Consultants: Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Written by Alex Renton, Caitlin Smith, Jack Kibble White and Kirsty Williams Sound designer: Jon Nicholls Theme tune composed by Jeremy Warmsley Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

3 min

See All Season 2 (2)

out of 5

2 Ratings

Journalist Alex Renton is sent a secret membership list of a pro-paedophile group active in the 1970’s and 80’s. There are over 300 names on it. But where are they now?

Creator

BBC Radio 4
Episodes

6
Seasons

2
Rating

Clean
Show Website

In Dark Corners

In Dark Corners

1. The List

This is In Dark Corners, series 2

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Information

In Dark Corners

Season 2 Season 1 Season 2

1. The List

This is In Dark Corners, series 2

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About

Information