Not only has it driven offenders underground and stirred up vigilantes, it also misses the point that the greatest perpetrators of the murder and abuse of children are adults in their own homes. Thousands of children are abused nightly by their own fathers, stepfathers or mothers' partners and boyfriends.
Thousands more live in appalling conditions of neglect.
Others are physically assaulted and regularly beaten by the very people to whom they look for comfort and solace. These truths about family life do not make endless headlines because they are uncomfortable and an indictment of a society that has failed to tackle these issues appropriately. Parenting is difficult and the supportive family networks that were in place a generation ago have fallen away. If the News of the World really wanted to help prevent abuse, child killing and neglect, it would do well instead to mount a campaign to raise much needed funds for charities such as Home-Start who are making a real difference for children.