Savage Justice

infobox Book |
name = Savage Justice
title_orig =
translator =


author = Ron Handberg
cover_artist =
country =
language = English
series =
genre = Novel
publisher = Harper Collins
release_date = 1992
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 373 p. (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-586-21764-9 (paperback edition)
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Savage Justice" is a 1993 novel by journalist Ron Handberg.

Alex Collier is TV anchorman in Minnesota is approached with information on a sensational story by Pat Hodges, an old girl friend who is now married to a judge. The accusation is that a senior Judge, Emmett Steele, is a pedophile and a serial abuser of young boys. Alex takes up the challenge and learns that a reporter, Daniel Grabowski, who was investigating Judge Steele, has disappeared. He also senses that influential people in the Twin Cities are protecting Steele.

Rick McDaniel is one of Steele’s victims. Just turned 16, Rick was picked up at night, blindfolded and lured to Steele’s house where he was painfully abused by Steele. Rick recognised him only by his voice. Rick was secretly videoed and was also shown a video of two 13/14–year-old boys embarrassed to be forced to wrestle naked for the camera.

Collier finds a computer disk that contains incriminating information. He also searches for the alleged victims, typically homeless boys aged 15 to 17 working the street. Minnesota's governor nominates the Steele to the State Supreme Court and this increases Collier's desire to get his story on air before Steele becomes even more powerful. Grabowski’s skeleton and some personal effects are unearthed by chance in a remote part of Wisconsin, near land owned by Pat's husband, Nathanial.

After speaking to a child abuse expert, Collier and his colleagues research Steele’s childhood and find out that he was abused from the age of 12 by a high school student hired to look after him. The student is later sent to jail having been caught sodomising another kid. On release, the student is found murdered with his body violated in a similar fashion to the anal abuse inflicted on Rick.

Pat and Collier’s intense relationship has re-ignited and Collier discovers that the Hodges own land near the murder site. Working with Phil, a local detective who is going out with Barbara, Alex’s co-presenter, Collier finds that Steele and Hodges have built a lodge on the land. Pat knows nothing about it.

When they visit the property, they see Steele drive up with his bodyguard and a shy young boy, aged 13 or 14. Alex meets up with Roger, a young man who works with Steele and his friend Rick McDaniel. The police later find boxes full of child pornography and NAMBLA promotional literature.

As the investigation reaches its climax, Pat and Collier’s love is tested, Nathanial is implicated and Collier and his friends have to struggle to get the story out

ee also

*Pedophilia
*List of books portraying paedophilia or sexual abuse of minors
*Child sexual abuse