"Regret" over School Abuse Case

Hartlepool Mail
November 6, 2014

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/north-east/regret-over-school-abuse-case-1-6938511

A Roman Catholic official has expressed regret and sorrow that a primary school teacher from County Durham was able to sexually abuse children for more than a decade.

Several parents and one of his young victims made complaints about Ronald Wotton's behaviour in classes to the head teacher of the Roman Catholic primary school, but they were not believed.

The head explained the behaviour was just the paedophile teacher's way of being "friendly", and the girl who came forward was told she had to apologise to him, in class.

Wotton was allowed to retire when a new head took over in 1980, following a discussion with the parish priest, amid concerns about the mounting allegations. He was able to claim his deafness was the reason for leaving.

It was only last year that a former pupil, now middle-aged, came forward to police after being spurred on to do so by the Jimmy Savile inquiry.

Wotton, 73, from Park Lane, Murton, Seaham, was jailed for five years at Teesside Crown Court, after he admitted indecently assaulting 20 boys and girls at the school which is not being name to protect his victims' anonymity.

The court heard pupils would make themselves sick with washing up liquid to avoid him.

He would call a child up to stand behind his large desk with him, and hidden from direct view of the other pupils, he would sexually assault them while asking if they were smacked at home.

Paul Young, safeguarding co-ordinator for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, said: "It is a source of deep regret whenever a position of great trust leads to behaviour which harms children or any vulnerable person in our communities.

"We express our sorrow to those who in the past have suffered abuse, felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed. We recognise the failings of some in the past in handling these matters.

"Whilst the allegations involving Ronald Wotton took place at a voluntary aided school and were therefore outside the direct control of the Diocese, the Catholic Church in England and Wales has worked hard and consistently to develop policies nationally to address situations of this nature.

"There have been significant improvements in the way we respond to and approach cases such as these.

"I would like to give an assurance that nowadays the protection of children is paramount.

"We create safe environments where children feel able to and are likely to speak about their concerns.

"We listen to children and believe them.

"Any matters which are reported now within a church setting are immediately referred to the statutory authorities.

"As we did in this case, we work very closely with the police and children's social services.

"We fully cooperate in bringing perpetrators to account and in seeking justice for victims; their healing is of the utmost importance to the Church."

At the sentencing yesterday, two statements from his victims were read out.

One expressed bitterness towards the Catholic church, saying: "They should have been there for us and should have listened."

She never told her staunchly Catholic parents as to have done so would have felt like betrayal.

Another said: "It was a Catholic school and the culture was teachers were right and you did what you were told."

Wotton has cancer of the colon and groin which are inoperable and he was described in court as terminally ill.