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	Ruling May Aid Church Case Men in Alleged Sexual Abuse By Simon Walton Evening Gazette Febriary 1, 2008 http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2008/02/01/ruling-may-aid-church-case-men-in-alleged-sexual-abuse-84229-20424326/ A LANDMARK legal ruling has opened the floodgates to one of the biggest claims of alleged sexual abuse in history. The Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough is set to be sued by 140 men over alleged physical and sexual abuse suffered while in care. The breakthrough came on Tuesday after the House of Lords scrapped a six-year time limitation in abuse compensation cases. Now they have ruled the time limit can be extended at the discretion of the trial judge. The ruling means that in historic cases where there is clear evidence of abuse, the victims may now be able to sue and win compensation from those deemed responsible. The ruling centred on the case of a woman whose life was ruined by sex attacker Iorweth Hoare, who went on to win ?7m on the National Lottery from a ticket he bought in South Bank. The woman, a retired teacher known as Mrs A, challenged the six-year limitation period at the House of Lords. Her victory now clears a path for the case brought by former residents at St William's Community Home in Market Weighton, East Yorkshire. If the claims are successful, damages could run into millions of pounds. David Greenwood, of Jordans Solicitors, is co-ordinating the legal action on behalf of the 140 men who allege they suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuse at the hands of a number of members of staff at St William's Community Home. He said those men now had a "more than reasonable" chance of succeeding. The Diocese of Middlesbrough owned St William's Community Home up until its closure in 1992 after a police investigation into the actions of its headmaster James Carragher. Carragher was jailed for 14 years in 2004 for abusing boys in his care over a 20-year period. He was previously jailed in 1997 for seven years for abusing nine boys. Five men, including Carragher were charged, but only Carragher was found guilty. A spokesman for the Diocese of Middlesbrough said: "We are aware that the case currently before the House of Lords has been one element in the long delay in the resolution of the cases that relate to allegations made by former students of St William's care home in Market Weighton."v
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