‘No one protected us’: survivors describe lifelong trauma from liberal boarding school
Detectives are investigating several reports of historic abuse at Britain’s most liberal boarding school, exposed by The Telegraph, it can be revealed.
Pupils who attended St Christopher’s School in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, from the 1960s to the 1990s claim they suffered harrowing sexual, emotional, and physical abuse at the “cult”-like progressive school.
The school has origins in Theosophy, a niche, late 19th-century mystical philosophy, and is vegetarian, uniform-free, and requires pupils to call teachers by their first names.
Allegations against the school uncovered by a seven-month investigation by The Telegraph include rape and sexual assault by both teachers and pupils; prolific drinking and drug use; and bullying, battering, and neglect.
Last month, it emerged that specialist police officers were looking into historical allegations of abuse at the school after reopening the case of a former pupil against a former teacher at the school. The former pupil, who was under 12 at the time, claimed she reported the alleged sexual abuse to staff as a child, but was ignored.
Now it can be reported that officers are expanding their investigation into the school, known as St Chris.
They have reopened the case of another alleged victim and are investigating several other cases after a number of people came forward with further information. The investigation has been given the code name “Operation Fashion.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the second alleged victim said that the abuse he endured while a pupil at St Chris had had a “destructive” impact on his life.
“Now, finally, what happened to me might be treated as a crime,” he said. “But I’ve learned to be very, very careful. It’s very hard to trust institutions.”
“I’ve also struggled with relationships, sometimes not believing that I’m going to be accepted, as very damaged goods.
“Drinking made sense for many years, but was really destructive. Months can go by, sometimes a couple of years. But when anything goes wrong in my life, all the old trauma and shame are there and waiting.
“I’ve achieved a lot in life. But it’s so much harder than it should be, and I’m always fearful that it will all come crashing down and I’ll be back alone, the boy that no one protected.”
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said that after recent publicity about historical abuse at the school, “a number of people” had come forward with further information.
This included reports of additional offences and details that might assist the investigation. Officers are working through the allegations where those affected wish to proceed.
They said that investigations were at an early stage, and it was not possible to provide precise numbers at this time.
The spokesman added: “Officers are investigating several reports of historic abuse at St Christopher’s School in Letchworth.
“We understand how incredibly difficult it can be for victims and survivors to come forward, but we have specialist officers to offer support every step of the way.”
“We encourage anyone with information which could help our investigations to please contact us via 101, online at herts.police.uk/report or via web chat at herts.police.uk/contact and quote Op Fashion.”
A spokesperson for St Christopher School said: “We continue to co-operate fully with all ongoing investigations and legal processes, and would encourage anyone with concerns about the past culture of the school to contact Hertfordshire Police or our safeguarding team, where they will be taken seriously and treated with discretion and care.”
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