Crest of the Congregation of Christian Brothers

Crest of the Congregation of Christian Brothers
Neither Christian nor brotherly is how their victims see them

Millstones

This site focuses on allegations of abuse, physical and sexual, by the Irish Christian Brothers at schools in the UK. The majority of the Brothers were no doubt good teachers and kindly men, but a number of them should not have been allowed to be near children. Generally it appears that there was a culture of violence ingrained in the Congregation of Christian Brothers; it is unfortunate that so many teachers stood by and did nothing. As an ex-pupil has commented: " They could hardly claim to not know what went on; the sound of whole classrooms of kids being strapped could be heard very clearly in corridors and adjacent classrooms." If you would like to contribute and/or join the Millstones Facebook group email me mr.downes@gmail.com



Friday, 23 April 2010

A blinkered Archbishop?












Above: St Mary's College, Crosby, alma mater of Archbishop Vincent Nicholas, educated by the Christian Brothers, about whom he personally has "no complaints."

On 5 April I received a sympathetic reply from Archbishop Vincent Nichols in reply to my allegations of physical and sexual abuse carried out by Christian Brothers at Prior Park Prep School, Cricklade, Wiltshire. Mgr Nichols wrote: "Incidentally, I was at a Christian Brothers' Grammar School. For me [sic] part, my experience is quite different to yours as I have no complaints about the education we received."

I thought I would investigate St Mary's, Crosby, the school in question. A Google search linking 'St Mary's Crosby' and 'abuse' produced the St Mary's College Crosby Abuse Witness archive at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110624368948881 Snap!

Description: A place for former students of St Mary's College Crosby to record their experiences of violence as a child at the hands of the Christian Brothers and other staff during the 1960's. Students of that era have no place to go to share their experiences, time is running out for many and people find it hard to believe that such violence could be openly and widely practised in full view of all adults employed at the school, without a single hand in defence of the children.

Open: All content is public.

The group has been started in March 2010 in reaction to the Pope's denials of knowledge of abuse at schools in Ireland and beyond. Share your own experiences and get in touch with other students from that time

Why am I doing this?
It's not because I want money (I have plenty)
It's not because I want an apology (empty words)
It's not because I want sympathy ( I am big enough to have put any damage caused behind me)

I WANT THSE ABUSES OUT IN THE OPEN
tjspooner@yahoo.co.nz
Tim Spooner
At 23 April 2010 the group lists Tim Spooner, Eddie Hulme and Dusty Smith, and now me!

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