Sunday, September 29, 2013

Catholic Church faces more claims of abuse at former home which was visited by Jimmy Savile

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQx1mUj8wVMM_EV-CzBwoCfwxzgZ6wkuq-9zSX-oL1a_X1TffN_oQANOTHER former boy of a Catholic boys home has spoken of the abuse he suffered.

He, who we have agreed not to name for legal reasons, was a resident of St Francis Boys Home, Shefford, in the 1960s. 

He states that former priest Father Hammond groomed boys for sexual purposes.

He also remembers the brutality of Father Ryan who was twice arrested by Bedfordshire Police but never charged. 

The police are still looking for the paperwork of those arrests, as it has gone missing.

He also states that the boys were sexually abused by the nuns and that one nun, Mother Xavier, punished boys by making them put their hands in scalding water.

And yet another former boy remembers Jimmy Savile visiting the home in the 1960s.

Many former boys are taking out a class action against the Catholic Church and also the Sisters of St Louis.

Some of them visited Shefford yesterday, before meeting in Bedford to discuss how to progress their case and get justice, and an apology, from the church.