Dozens of children abused

The children were sent to Old Rectory School, Banham, Norfolk, from the borough over a 30 year period.

Children at the home were subjected to a catalogue of abuse by members of the staff which only ended in 2003 when the school was closed down.

Now a law firm has launched a class action against the estate of the home’s former owners and is searching for victims from Croydon.

Cambridge based Andrew Grove & Company solicitors has located 35 former residents so far, a quarter of which come from Croydon.

Kathy Yates, the solicitor who lodged a compensation claim last week, said: “Some of the children at this home were subjected to some truly degrading and horrific acts by the staff and other residents.

“There are potentially hundreds of people that may have been affected by the crimes committed at the Old Rectory School.

“It appears that many of the children sent to live at Banham suffered a miserable existence in a Dickensian type institution. They suffered from various abuses from certain members of staff.

“Even though many years have passed since the abuse took place it is not too late for former pupils to tell their stories and receive compensation for the abuse they suffered.”

One 31-year-old former resident, who does not want to be named, was sent to the school when he was six-years-old and is currently living and working in Croydon.

He said: “The abuse started when I first arrived at the school. My stepmother and I did not get on so I was sent to the school because she didn’t like me. It was supposedly because of my ‘disruptive’ behaviour.

“I was forced to share a room with a complete psychopath who treated me like a slave. He was a lot older than me. I was sexually abused.

“The abuse I suffered was horrific but other children had it worse than I did. I was a quiet lad and I was academically clever, so I tended to avoid the abuse from the teachers and staff.

“On one occasion I can remember a teacher kicking seven-bells out of a boy while we waited for class to start. When I saw him in the playground after class his face was bloody and bruised and his clothes were ripped.”

The man said he is still emotionally damaged by his nine years at the school and tried to avoid involvement with a criminal trial against the former owners of the school.

He said he suffers from low confidence and has nervous tendencies.

He said: “The children who were sent to school need to know that it was not their fault what happened to them.

“They shouldn’t think that they brought any of it on themselves. Some may think they deserved it because they were misbehaved and sent to the school but it is the school’s fault not theirs.

“I have luckily managed to turn my life around. Once I left the school I went to college and then university and I’ve started to rebuild my life.”

The abusers and the abused

Childhood is meant to be the best years of a person’s life but for the children at a Norfolk care home it was a living hell During the 70s, 80s and 90s residents of former care home and school, the Old Rectory School, Banham, were systematically abused by both staff and fellow students under the watchful gaze of the owners, George and Tony Robson.

While at the school many of the children were subjected to humiliating, violent and sexual abuse at the hands of the people charged with their care and safety.

Pupils were encouraged to fight each other while goaded by members of staff. A boy was forced to eat his own vomit and others were beaten with a plimsoll and a studded belt. One child was forced to smash his new toys with a hammer after damaging a piece of furniture.

In 2003, investigations by the BBC uncovered the child abuse scandal and a police investigation resulted in many charges. Senior members of staff including owners George Robson and Tony Robson, teacher David Clark and housemaster Leslie Beckett faced trials.

A three-year media blackout was lifted in October 2007 when George Robson and his brother Tony were sentenced at Norwich Crown Court.

They received suspended sentences as George Robson, 66, was unwell suffering from heart disease and died the day after his sentencing. George Robson had been due to face trial following allegations of sexual abuse on five girls in his care.

After reports from a cardiologist and a neuro-physician the court decided that he was not fit to stand trial for the sex offences.

Another abuser, Leslie Beckett, who was facing 13 allegations of indecent assault also died before he could stand trial.

George Robson was found guilty of nine counts of child cruelty and was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended, on November 12, 2007.

His brother Anthony Robson, known as Mr Thomas to the children, was convicted on three counts and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, suspended on December 11, 2007.

Care worker, David Clark was found guilty of four counts and also received a suspended sentence.

Darrell was sent to Banham from Croydon.

“I moved to the Becketts’ house and Mr and Mrs Beckett became my house parents. I was about 12 or 13 years old.

“The abuse started when I had my first bath. Mr Beckett came in and knelt next to the bath. He put his hands in the water and touched my private parts saying, ‘What have we got here then?’ “This was the start of regular sessions that continued all the time I was at the Old Rectory.

“Mr Beckett was always there at bath time. I was terrified of him. He was a big man. I was frightened of what he would do if I said ‘no’.

“For years I did not know if I was gay or straight. When I left school I tried to kill myself and spent months in hospital. I am now permanently disabled.

Suzanne was sent to Banham from Croydon.

“One of the main rules at meal time was that everything on your plate had to be eaten. Staff used to check our plates.

“I vividly recall one occasion when I was 11-years-old when a female teacher force-fed me semolina even though I hated it. She grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. She then took my spoon and forced it into my mouth two or three times.

“The dining room was full and lots of people witnessed this.

“She slapped my face because I still refused to eat the semolina. I vomited on my plate.

“She then pushed my face into the vomit.”

Dean was sent to Banham from Croydon.

“Lawrence had been stealing again. It wasn’t anything much. Lawrence was always hungry as we all were and he sometimes used to steal food from the kitchens. It was about 1978 and I was eight years old.

“We were playing in the play area after tea. We suddenly noticed Lawrence. He had been placed on a log by Mr Robson in the middle of the play area in complete display.

“He had a large plaque, like a sandwich board, around his neck. On one side was written, ‘I am a thief’ and on the other side, ‘I am a fool’.

“Mr Robson had placed a bell in his hands and every 20 seconds Lawrence had to ring the bell and shout out, ‘I am a thief and a fool’. He was on the log for hours.