Former Pupils at St Bede's School to Sue Salford Diocese over Sexual Abuse Claims
By Ryan Hooper
Former pupils of a leading Catholic secondary school in south Manchester, who are suing church bosses over sex abuse claims, have spoken of their horror experiences. Ex-students of St Bede’s College in Whalley Range say they suffered appalling treatment at the hands of priests at the school. Harrowing claims from three former pupils, who have bravely waived their right to anonymity, describe in detail how they suffered at the hands of senior staff. They are among a group of former pupils who are suing the Catholic diocese of Salford, which previously operated the former boys school, which is now an independent mixed-sex school. The allegations dating back to the 1950s focus mainly on former senior staff members, Father Vincent Hamilton, Monsignor Thomas Duggan and Father Charles Mulholland, all of who are now dead. Former student Rick Merrin says he was groomed by being invited to meet members of the Manchester United squad with one of his abusers. He said he was later forced to sleep naked in bed with his alleged attacker on school trips, before later being forced into performing a sex act. Describing his experience, Mr Merrin said: “It was the most horrifying episode of my life and I certainly experienced no sexual pleasure from it.
“All that had been hammered in to me at school about the all-important need to be 'pure' was shattered. I was in a complete state of shock and could not believe what had taken place with a priest.” He said he woke up in the middle of the night in 'excruciating pain', being raped by his priest. “I was traumatised by what he had done to me and had no idea how to handle events totally beyond my comprehension,” he said. Michael Sweeney, another survivor, described the 'sickening feeling' of being 'groped and nuzzled' as a young boy at the hands of Duggan. And he said his abusers seemed 'untouchable', such was the esteem with which they were held in the church. He said: “It is still hard to capture just how appalling these experiences with Duggan were each time they occurred. “As young Catholic boys in the 1950s, we thought of priests in general as completely beyond reproach. They were untouchable. “The shame from what Duggan did alone was enough to keep me quiet.” The men were aged between 11 and 15 at the time of the abuse. Their alleged abusers died before being brought to justice, but the survivors are now taking out a civil case against the Diocese of Salford for what they say is a failure to protect them. The case is expected to reach the High Court in the summer. Thomas Beale, representing victims with London-based child abuse lawyers AO Advocates, said: “In our clients’ case, knowing there are other people suffering in the same way gave them strength to come forward. The church is not dealing with this in the way it says it will.” “I think it’s important to remember that these boys came from very devout, working-class families in Manchester. “They had scholarships to attend this hugely prestigious school. They were deprived of the opportunity to flourish and meet their full potential because of the horrific abuse they suffered. “These individuals left school with little or no qualifications, their relationships broke down and a number have suffered from alcohol problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety as a result of the abuse they suffered. “It wasn’t just the sins of the individual, it was the failure of the church to address these complaints properly.”
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