The photo which I published at http://millstonesblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/almost-60-years-on-mystery-solved.html has evidently brought back memories of the ghastly schooldays dominated by the cruelty and violence of certain Christian Brothers at Prior Park Preparatory School in Cricklade, Wiltshire.
It's also reminded me of how last October I decided to contact the police about the sexual assault which I mentioned to Archbishop Vincent Nichols in my letter emailed to him at Easter 2010, posted at http://millstonesblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-letter-to-archbishop.html
It's also reminded me of how last October I decided to contact the police about the sexual assault which I mentioned to Archbishop Vincent Nichols in my letter emailed to him at Easter 2010, posted at http://millstonesblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-letter-to-archbishop.html
Well, I call it sexual assault just because I suppose that's how it would be described today, although the senile fumbling of the Christian Brother involved hardly ranks with the brutal rapes inflicted on some of their charges, in Ireland for example.
I suppose I simply wanted to record this little detail as part of the larger jigsaw of child abuse for which this and other religious orders have been responsible. For future historians of religion, or of education, for example.
It seemed that my complaint had to be addressed to Wiltshire Police, since it was in that county where the alleged assult took place. The police, to my surprise, were pleasantly cooperative. After all, they are supposed to take allegations of historic child abuse seriously, but it was a long time ago. And the perpetrators, including headmaster Bro B whom I mentioned for the savage beatings that he inflicted on ten-year-old children, have been dead for a long time.
I wouldn't have blamed the police if they'd told me that they had better things to do than waste time on my age-old case. Yet at the back of my mind was the thought that my account might help to corroborate those of other victims if they felt brave or mad enough to bring them to light.
I was interviewed at my local police station in Exmouth on 13 October 2010 by DC Mike Laybourne. To my surprise, I found it quite an upsetting experience. Mike was extremely sympathetic. He tells me that he has liaised with Detective Sergeant David Martin, of Wiltshire Police at Hampton Park West, Melksham, Wilts. Tel: 0845 408 7000.
And I suppose, or vaguely hope, that what I told him has been recorded in a file somewhere. Maybe, one day, if I'm feeling suitably outraged by yet another revelation of the cruelty suffered by children at the hands of religious orders like the Christian Brothers, I'll contact DS Martin, just to make sure that my little piece of the jigsaw is in the right place.
I suppose I simply wanted to record this little detail as part of the larger jigsaw of child abuse for which this and other religious orders have been responsible. For future historians of religion, or of education, for example.
It seemed that my complaint had to be addressed to Wiltshire Police, since it was in that county where the alleged assult took place. The police, to my surprise, were pleasantly cooperative. After all, they are supposed to take allegations of historic child abuse seriously, but it was a long time ago. And the perpetrators, including headmaster Bro B whom I mentioned for the savage beatings that he inflicted on ten-year-old children, have been dead for a long time.
I wouldn't have blamed the police if they'd told me that they had better things to do than waste time on my age-old case. Yet at the back of my mind was the thought that my account might help to corroborate those of other victims if they felt brave or mad enough to bring them to light.
I was interviewed at my local police station in Exmouth on 13 October 2010 by DC Mike Laybourne. To my surprise, I found it quite an upsetting experience. Mike was extremely sympathetic. He tells me that he has liaised with Detective Sergeant David Martin, of Wiltshire Police at Hampton Park West, Melksham, Wilts. Tel: 0845 408 7000.
And I suppose, or vaguely hope, that what I told him has been recorded in a file somewhere. Maybe, one day, if I'm feeling suitably outraged by yet another revelation of the cruelty suffered by children at the hands of religious orders like the Christian Brothers, I'll contact DS Martin, just to make sure that my little piece of the jigsaw is in the right place.
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