The Anatomy of a Witch-Hunt the Furore over Eric Gill, Paedophile and Creator of a Revered Catholic Sculpture, Is a Product of Our Current Obsession with Sexual Abuse

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THE WOMAN fingering her rosary in prayer appeared not to know, or care, that she was in the presence of a paedophile's art. Her devotions seemed untroubled by thoughts of the insatiable Eric Gill coupling with his young daughters, his sisters or his dog.

As other believers lit candles or sat waiting for confessions to be heard, there was silence around the vast, inspirational space that is Westminster Cathedral. Few eyes lingered on the Stations of the Cross, the 14 relief panels displayed on marble pillars that are reported to be at the centre of "a bitter row" among Roman Catholics.

To read headlines like "Incest in the Cathedral" you might think some shameless …