St William's School abuse campaigner 'angry' over payout delays

BBC News
April 23, 2018

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-43863173

St William's Children's Home was run by the De La Salle Brothers, a Christian order of lay teachers

James Carragher, 75, and Anthony McCallen, 69, were convicted of a string of sexual offences

Delays in compensation payouts to victims of abuse at a Catholic school have left campaigners "angry and frustrated".

More than 240 men have made claims over abuse at St William's residential school in Market Weighton, East Yorkshire in the 1970s and 80s.

The De La Salle Order, which ran the school, put aside £7.7m for compensation, in 2015.

Church bosses say ongoing legal action out of its control is causing delays.

"The strategy and management of the St Williams claims has been entirely in the control of the Diocese of Middlesbrough's insurers and the insurer's solicitors," the De La Salle Order said.

Insurer Royal Sun Alliance declined to comment as the "sensitive litigation is ongoing".

The Diocese of Middlesbrough said "no agreement has been reached" over the payouts, despite the De La Salle money being earmarked three years ago.

It added: "We continue to be frustrated by the delays relating to the claims but accept that the legal process, which is out of our hands, needs to be followed."

To date judgement has been delivered on only nine cases.

A man received a payout of £14,000 in 2016, although that High Court judgement is subject to an appeal. Another man reached an out of court settlement last week.

Campaigner Darren Furness, who attended the school, said he was "angry and frustrated" by the delays.

"It's time they got their act together and sorted it out once and for all," he said.

In January 2016, the former head of St William's, James Carragher, 75, was jailed after he was found guilty of sexually abusing boys there.

He was convicted of 21 indecent assaults and three serious sex offences, but cleared of a further 30 charges.

Anthony McCallen, 69, a former chaplain at St William's, was sentenced to 15 years for a series of offences.

The school was closed in 1992.