Monks to Hand over Somerset School at Centre of Abuse Scandal

Western Daily Press
January 10, 2012

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Sex-abuse-scandal-monks-hand-Somerset-school/story-14379714-detail/story.html

Richard White was convicted of abusing two boys at Downside School in the 1980s

The monks running a West private school at the centre of an abuse scandal will hand over its running to an independent group of governors, it emerged yesterday.

The Benedictine monks could lose control of the running of the £26,000-a-year Downside School in Somerset after a review of practices in the wake of the jailing last week of Richard White, known as "Father Nicholas" to the 1,500 students.

The 66-year-old was convicted of abusing two boys there in the late 1980s, and police have now confirmed two other men have received cautions as part of an investigation into historic sexual abuse at the school.

One of the boys involved has now waived his right to anonymity to speak out after White, from Fordingbridge in Hampshire, was jailed for five years after being sheltered by the church for more than two decades, despite admitting his crimes to monastic staff at the time.

He abused a 12-year-old boy in 1988 but after admitting it he was allowed to continue teaching, abusing a second boy of 12 – to whom he paid 50p each time he abused him – the following year.

That boy, Rob Hastings, waived his right to anonymity and urged other victims of abuse at the school to contact police. Speaking to The Times, the 35-year-old IT consultant and father-of-four said it was time the school faced up to the level of abuse which went on, criticising its apology as "inadequate".

White's court case in Taunton heard that the school received legal advice in the early 1990s that they were not required to tell the police what happened. Instead White was sent to a number of monastic retreats in England and Scotland over the next 20 years.

"The apology wasn't even an apology, it was saying 'we have done everything right'," Mr Hastings said. "I feel that Downside had been infiltrated by paedophiles at all levels. The school needs to admit its level of failure to support the safeguarding of children."

The Roman Catholic monks have run the school for more than 200 years but could be taken over by a governing body, the school has admitted. A spokesman said yesterday "a major review of the school's governance" was taking place and that "significant changes will be announced soon".

Taunton Crown Court heard last week that White admitted five charges of indecent assault and two of gross indecency with a child, relating to Mr Hastings, in November last year, and asked for four offences against the first boy, who has never made a complaint to police, to be taken into account.

White's crimes only came to light when an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police and the church's Clifton Diocese into historic child abuse claims found evidence in old files in 2010. In a statement last week, Abbot Aidan Bellenger, the abbot of Downside, said the school was "truly sorry" that the abuse took place.