It's not exactly surprising to find a connection [timesonline.co.uk] between home-schooling and child abuse [news.bbc.co.uk]. Despite the misleading advertising of "stranger danger", most child abuse is in the family (close relatives and trusted friends). Meanwhile, abusive families are likely to want to keep their children at home and away from outside attention - and home-"schooling" is an ideal way to minimise the number of people who might notice they are abusing their children. It also matches up well with the repressive proclivities of the religious (which runs in families much like abusiveness does).

Of course, it doesn't help when all the people [guardian.co.uk] who could and should have spotted the abuse and acted to stop it failed to do so!

Telegraph: a [telegraph.co.uk], b [telegraph.co.uk], c [telegraph.co.uk], d [telegraph.co.uk], e [telegraph.co.uk]