Guardian of the Innocent

“There is an intriguing similarity between the language used by Andrew Vachss, child–abuse specialist from New York, and the unnamed head of Scotland Yard’s Child Pornography Unit … . While Vachss, certainly no believer in Original Sin, talks openly of ‘evil’, the man who heads the six strong often undercover unit said recently: ‘When I first began to be head of this branch I thought they were sick. They’re not—they’re evil.'”

What Vachss does imagine more often than not are the headlines that invariably will appear when the rest of the world catches on to the issues that he discusses in his mystery novels. In 1985’s “Flood,” he wrote about abuse of children by day care center staffers. In 1987’s “Strega,” which was published before anyone had ever heard the word “Internet,” he introduced the world to the dangers posed by on-line pedophiles. In 1988’s “Blue Belle,” he exposed the issue of the sale of human body parts. “Blossom,” in 1990, dealt with stalker crimes. In 1991’s “Sacrifice,” it was ritualistic satanic abuse. “Down in the Zero,” in 1994, dealt with what happens to emotionally abused children. And 1996’s “False Allegations” dealt with the terrifying extent to which child sexual abuse occurs in contemporary America.