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to Richard Yuill's dissertation

2 December 2004 
Williams, Martin, Controversy surrounds university thesis on paedophilia; The Herald, UK.
A SCOTTISH university was last night embroiled in a new row over a student whose thesis challenges the law on sex abuse after he was awarded a PhD.
Richard Yuill, who received his doctorate in sociology from Glasgow University at a graduation ceremony yesterday, said his research into relationships between adults and children under 16 countered the "dominant view" that they were unacceptable, and raised questions about the legal age of consent. He said those interviewed had had both positive and negative experiences.

2 December 2004
Taylor, Matthew,
Paedophilia thesis comes under fire; Doctorate could justify child sex, say abuse experts; The Guardian. 
An academic awarded a doctorate by Glasgow University for his thesis which described sex between adults and children as sometimes positive was criticised last night by child abuse experts.
Richard Yuill said his research, based on interviews with paedophiles and their victims, "challenged the assumption" that sexual relations between adults and under-16s were inherently abusive.

3 December 2004
CHILD SEX ACADEMIC HITS BACK; Daily Record (Scotland tabloid) Dec 3 2004. 
A RESEARCHER who claimed not all sex between adults and under-16s is abusive defended his work yesterday. As Richard Yuill was awarded his PhD from Glasgow University, he attacked criticism of his thesis from child protection groups.

4 December 2004
Baty, Phil, Fury over PhD for child-sex research; Times Higher Education Supplement. 
A row has erupted over Glasgow University's decision to award a doctorate for a thesis that describes "positive" experiences of sex between children and adults based on interviews with paedophiles and their victims.
Richard Yuill received his doctorate this week for research that he said "challenges the assumption" that all sexual relationships between adults and children under the age of 16 are inherently abusive.

4 December 2004
Yuill, Richard,
Answering back; THES 
When I began my PhD at Glasgow University in 1999, I appreciated that the "reality" of researching male age-discrepant/intergenerational sexualities and relationships would likely prove a hotly contested topic. But I did not anticipate that my mother and I would be subjected to offensive phone-calls; two lengthy Senate investigations; having sensitive material stolen from my office and passed on to a journalist; explaining my research to officers from the Serious Crime Squad; the News of the World taking a photo of me inside our house; and, finally, a series of ill-informed political attacks.

4 December 2004
Baty, Phil, Child sex researcher had ban on his record; Times Higher Education Supplement
"It was Richard Yuill's decision to have his thesis withheld. This is certainly not an unusual request as dissertations are often withheld for various reasons such as patenting/intellectual property issues.

4 December 2004
Leapman, Peter, Say what you mean; [letter to]
Times Educational Supplement
Richard Yuill's right to advance heretical ideas about paedophilia ought to be defended