In 2001, Patrick Butler was writing in The Guardian about the insights English writer Charles Dickens had about child abuse.

In his piece, “A novel insight into child abuse”, he says Patricia Brennan, a paediatrician, was shocked to be not only enjoying Dickens’ novels but also stunned by his “observations of abuse”, abuse which wasn’t recognised as such until the 1960s & 1970s.

“Even more remarkable” reported Brennan, was that Dickens was aware of what today would be called “parental ‘at risk’ factors’ – “Alcoholism, domestic violence, mental health problems and even violence against animals…”

According to Dr Brennan, writes Patrick Butler, reading Oliver Twist might be a way for people to “face up to child abuse…”