UNITED KINGDOM
Lancaster Evening Post
Harrowing testimony from three survivors of historical child abuse at St Bede’s Catholic school describe in gruesome details the level of torment they suffered from those they trusted.
They spoke of the constant reccurring nightmares and the “burden” of carrying the secrets with them for more than half a century, prompting one to make a failed suicide attempt several decades after the abuse ended.
The allegations focused mostly on Father Vincent Hamilton, Monsignor Thomas Duggan and Father Charles Mulholland, all of who are now dead.
In police witness statements, seen by the Press Association, Rick Merrin described how “Catholic guilt was rampant” at the school in Manchester, and “provided a potent mechanism for controlling the boys”.
He said he was initially in his abuser’s thrall, having been invited to meet members of the Manchester United squad with him.
But he described this as enabling his abuser to groom young victims, insisting they sleep naked in bed with him on school trips. The boy would later be forced to perform oral sex on his tormentor.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.