Caldicott Prep School
Caldicott Preparatory School which was founded in 1904 is still open today, and caters principally for boarding boys from the ages of 8 to 13. It is part of the independent school system and is privately fee paying. It is situated in the rural setting of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire.
Whilst the school has various famous ex-alumni, such as Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Deputy Prime Minister during the time of the Conservative/Liberal coalition government, in the 1960’s and 1970’s it suffered from a catalogue of abuse of pupils by various teachers. To quote Wikipedia
History of sexual abuse
On 30 September 2008 the school was the subject of a feature documentary, Chosen, transmitted on More4 as part of the “Real Stories” strand, about the abuse that went on at the school during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[16] The headmaster Peter Wright was active in this, as well as a number of other teachers, targeting boys good at sports and, to a lesser extent, in the choir. In The Guardian published on the same day, a former parent alleged that Lord Justice Scott Baker, former chairman of the board of Governors, and Headmaster Simon Doggart mishandled a case of alleged sexual abuse of their son by a teacher in the early 2000s.[17]
Martin Carson was dismissed for sexual abuse of a pupil in 1972, and went on to teach at Chelmsford Hall School in Eastbourne, eventually becoming involved in the founding of the Harrodian School which was his last employment in education. In 2003 following the Channel 4 broadcast of an interview with two victims, he was arrested and charged, and pleaded guilty to charges assault and possessing indecent images of children in 2003.[18]
On 4 December 2011, Peter Wright and Hugh Henry, another teacher, were charged with child sex offences alleged to have taken place between 1959 and 1970. For Henry, the charges cover his period at Gayhurst School as well as at Caldicott. They appeared in court in Aylesbury on 21 December 2011 charged with a total of 35 offences against 12 pupils.[19][20] This was the second time that Peter Wright had been charged for child abuse offences; the first time, in 2003, the judge awarded a stay of proceedings predicated upon the passage of time since the offences were allegedly committed.[21]
Hugh Henry was found guilty of 11 counts of indecency, and two of gross indecency, towards a child, and pleaded guilty. He was killed by a train shortly before he was due to return to court for sentencing, his death a presumed suicide.[22]
On 18 December 2013 Peter Wright was convicted of sexually assaulting five pupils aged eight to 13 at Caldicott between 1959 and 1970.[23] Wright was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment on 6 February 2014.[24]
Thames Valley Police on 1 May 2012 charged another former teacher, John Addrison,[25] with sexual offences committed against children at the school between 1979 and 1981. Addrison was subsequently further charged[26] with child sex offences committed at Moor Park School near Ludlow, Shropshire, between 1985 and 1988. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 5 years’ prison but wasn’t fined.
A further ex teacher, David Geddes, was also charged in November 2012, with four charges for offences against 3 school-children between 1975 and 1977.[27][28]
Under ex-headmaster Simon Doggart, another incident of alleged child sexual abuse was reported; the headmaster and the chairman of the board of governors, Lord Justice Scott Baker, suspended the teacher (who did not return).
Wikipedia
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We have represented victims of Caldicott abuse in the past. If you have been affected in any way by abuse and you would like advice on any aspect, contact us