97 days ago
It was last year that I contacted the celebrated campaigner on the matter of historic sexual abuse at Britain’s public schools, Alex Renton, to discuss how to push my old school to be more proactive in addressing its own scandals. My abuse at the hands of sadistic Geoffrey Eve was physical. But other boys suffered sexual abuse. One victim, having suppressed his memories for decades has finally decided to confront them, contacted Renton who put him in touch with me. We spoke last week.
509 days ago
This week, after 12 years of campaigning, I finally got to see Warwick School admit, after years of denial, that historic abuse had taken place and it made a full apology to we victims in a letter sent to thousands of current parents and former pupils. Having been cold shouldered by certain former teachers and pupils for my efforts I slept well that night. But, on reflection, this not a time to let up because there is still unfinished business.
681 days ago
I flagged up my latest piece on historic physical and sexual abuse at Warwick School to the current headmaster yesterday. He promised that he would listen to the excellent Alex Renton programme on Radio 4 last night. I listened with a glass of brandy in my hand thinking how much this reminded me of Warwick and almost in tears. It was very saddening but illuminating.
682 days ago
It is not often hat I urge anyone to listen to the BBC. But at 8 PM tonight the excellent Alex Renton has a new programme on historic sexual abuse at the UK’s public schools. I urge the staff, Governors and Headmaster of my old school Warwick to listen to Radio 4 very carefullty. For the issue at hand is how schools covered up and protected abusers and Warwick is guilty of that to an extraordinary degree.
858 days ago
45 years ago I was pushed back into that freezing outdoor pool at Warwick School behind the “new gym” as I tried to haul myself out. There was no real malice by the three boys who did it (Petley R, Townsend & Moffatt A) but what happened was part of a culture of bullying which teachers just overlooked. Moffat A was, in particular, a real bully in my years in the junior school. Both his parents taught there and so that was just part of life, part of what made Warwick such an appalling place. On this occassion, my ankle caught between the iron bar that went around the pool and the edge of the pool. As I struggled for breath the ankle became horribly twisted. I could not walk for many weeks. It has never fully recovered.
