DE LA SALLES – REFINEMENT

Another quote below from the official history where it’s claimed that the De La Salle brothers should ‘cultivate in themselves the quality of refinement in bearing, in language, and in manners’

That was certainly not my experience at St Joseph’s College, Ipswich, and neither is it the experience of many other Survivors. The abusers Brothers James, Solomon and Kevin come immediately to mind but there were many more.

It’s their endless self-congratulation and self-deification I find so abhorrent. There is never any acknowledgement of the numerous times the DLS fell far short of such standards

DE LA SALLE: THE FOUNDER’S WORDS

Here’s the De La Salle founder on how De La Salle brothers should behave.

‘…Never allowing themselves to descend to anything base…This seriousness does not consist in a severe or austere aspect, in anger or in harsh words… The teachers will above all never become familiar with their pupils…’

It angers me and many other Survivors that the De La Salles endlessly present themselves and preen themselves today with self-congratulation and not a word of self-criticism, always awarding themselves ten out of ten for their holy and most excellent behaviour..

They seem so ruled by the arrogance of clericalism that it would never occur to them to say, ‘We got it so wrong in recent years. We strayed far from the path of righteousness. From the words of our holy founder. We are truly and profoundly sorry that we grievously and irrevocably harmed so many thousands of children and we hang our heads in shame and humbly ask for their forgiveness.’

Yet if they did make a genuine apology along these lines (as opposed to their curt, fake apology buried deep within their website and criticised even by the partisan Tablet) they would earn the respect and forgiveness of some survivors, at least.

So it actually makes good sense. Insurers – or whoever really runs the DLS order – please note. But perhaps you simply can’t help yourselves? Arrogance is now your way of life? And not acknowledging that your Order screwed up – big-time?

I pity you.

A ROLE MODEL FOR THE DE LA SALLES & RLSS

I believe this is an excellent role model for the De La Salles and their safeguarders – the RLSS – who protect the DLS from us annoying survivors. It shows what survivors are looking for and how it can be done.

In Ireland, a Terenure College rugby coach was sentenced today. The college is run by the Carmelites. This is the statement his order put out. I think it’s a model of its kind and worth bringing to the attention of DLS. This man has been convicted of abusing more children than anybody else in Ireland.

There were  similar monsters amongst the De La Salles  – notably Brothers Solomon, Kevin and James.

Statement: Carmelite Order, which runs Terenure College

It was a grave failure that he was not stopped, and for this, we are truly sorry. Through the civil legal process, as far as possible, we swiftly offer financial compensation to minimise further stress to those abused

Statement: Carmelite Order, which runs Terenure College

📄 It was a grave failure that he was not stopped, and for this, we are truly sorry

📄 Through the civil legal process, as far as possible, we swiftly offer financial compensation to minimise further stress to those abused pic.twitter.com/MRnAaKVIa7

— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) February 24, 2023

It’s well worth reading the link above. It’s a full statement by the Carmelites

Irrespective of its legal status, what is noteworthy is the HUMANITY the Carmelites are showing. Maybe late in the day, but it’s still humanity.

And it’s more than words, it’s deeds, too

I see no such humanity in the DLS or the RLSS.. Passive aggression – yes. Humanity – no.

Meanwhile, the DLS relates its self-proclaimed holiness and humanity in this video below and its concern for children etc. Yet its actions – as related on this site and elsewhere – are the polar opposite. Warning: Its hypocrisy may be triggering for some survivors.

THE RLSS – AN UPDATE RE THE DE LA SALLES

Here’s an update regarding the RLSS and the De La Salles.

The RLSS invited me to a (Zoom) meeting. Here is my reply to their head of Safeguarding:

Thanks so much , Stephen.

I was impressed by the work you did on child protection re Caldey Island.

When the equivalent happens where the De La Salles are concerned I will be sure to sing your praises.

But currently my view from the outside – not being present at your meetings with the De La Salles – is that you are dealing with a very determined and cunning organisation that will not admit its crimes, even though it promised to.

And so far you are losing and the De La Salles are winning.

As you know, that’s also the view of other survivors of the De La Salles so there’s no point in having a meeting at this stage.

When you can prove you have made progress regarding  the De La Salles admitting their crimes, then I would be very happy to talk and understand your point of view.

But, currently, I see your organisation – no matter what its good intentions – as part of the problem, rather than the solution.

So I will continue to expose how RLSS Safeguarding is there to safeguard the De La Salles, not survivors of their terrible crimes.

In my view, because you are ‘tethered’ by your paymasters, you should remove the De La Salles from your list of clients because their current immoral behaviour – in line with their criminal past –  is giving your RLSS  a very bad name.

Once the De La Salles  are ’expelled’  and can no longer hide behind you, it will be easier for Survivors to deal with them. I would submit that this is the right and moral thing for you to do. Otherwise you are in collusion with them.

As always, I will feature this response on social media because I believe in full transparency and we Survivors need to protect and support each other against a formidable and uncaring enemy. Your organisation seems incapable.

Best wishes

Patrick

THE RLSS – THEIR TIME IS UP

As you probably know the RLSS (Religious Life Safeguarding Service) is the new ‘go to’ Safeguarding organisation for religious orders, including the De La Salles. They promised to be different – a new broom. But nothing’s changed and their time is up.

Unlike the CSSA, the RLSS does actually have investigative powers.

(So, too, do the unpaid Diocesan Safeguarding officers who I know from past experience in the Copca era were a waste of my time.  But the RLSS seem different)

The RLSS promised an outcome to De La Salle issues of ORGANISED PAEDOPHILE RINGS in their schools. That promise was well before Christmas and we’re now in Feb.

So their time is up.

I believe what is delaying them is the De La Salles trying to wriggle out of their agreed apology for Brother Laurence and their promised investigation.

All over a year old.

My guess is it’s the Catholic insurance company who are saying, ‘Don’t say anything. Don’t admit anything. Maybe Mills will get tired and go away. Survivors often do. We just have to hang on in there.’

Mills is not going away.

The RLSS does seem to have some genuine people, but that’s part of the problem. They’re tethered, as they admit themselves, their powers are limited, so they are as much of the problem as the criminal  De La Salles who are hiding behind them.

To me that’s COLLUSION.

And  just in case someone challenges me on ‘criminal’ DLS,  I’d say an organisation that allows over a hundred cases of child sex abuse by De La Salles and their lay teachers to go without investigation is a criminal organisation.

Especially when there is evidence it’s organised sexual abuse. Not odd rotten apples.

We survivors are not collateral damage, much as I think some Catholics would like us to be and just shut up and leave these “”””holy””””” men alone.

Here’s my TWEETS on the subject of the RLSS.

I’m sure I’ll be returning to this matter again soon.

I’ve felt out-manouvered by Police Hydrant and Catholic Safeguarding. Catholic Safeguarding knew I would be wasting my time by reporting historic crimes to Hydrant, but they let me go ahead. But I wanted to see what the 'new broom' RLSS Safeguarding was like. (1/4)

— Patrick Mills (@PatrickEMills) February 18, 2023

The serious issue of Brother Laurence's demotion and promised apology & promised De La Salle investigation into their child sex abuse crimes at DLS schools in Ipswich, Bournemouth,Beulah Hill etc is still on the table. I'm not letting the DLS monks get away with it. (2/4

— Patrick Mills (@PatrickEMills) February 18, 2023

The RLSS did some good work on the Caldey Island case, so I cut them some slack. But their time is now https://t.co/w02XL569a1 I am tweeting & posting that they are just as questionable as their paymasters the criminal De La Salles whom they are safeguarding, NOT survivors. (4/4

— Patrick Mills (@PatrickEMills) February 18, 2023

My twitter handle is

@PatrickEMills

So if you were able to find those tweets and retweet them, they would reach a wider audience and show the Catholic Church and its organisations for the shameful entities they really are.

ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE, BEULAH HILL? BROTHER SOLOMON – school photo. 1962?

At first I thought this was St Joseph’s College, Ipswich. But as Old Boy Pete pointed out to me the ties and the badges seem different.

So I guess it must be St Joseph’s College, Beulah Hill?

My apologies for the mix-up.

If you’re a newcomer to this site: Solomon was at St J’s Ipswich in 1961. Then chucked out for drunken behavior and abuse. It’s what I clearly remember as a kid. After laying low in Jersey, part of the De La Salle brothers rat line- where brothers could escape to France if the police closed in on them, he was at Beulah Hill from maybe 1962. Then chucked out, he had a pop career. He returned to St J’s Ipswich in the 1980s as lay teacher Mike Mercado. He was chucked out for abuse and went on to work for an international children’s charity. There were abuse allegations against him throughout his life.

Beulah Hill has actually more allegations of Solomon being a violent animal and sexual abuser than Ipswich. At Ipswich, IIRC there are just two allegations of sexual abuse. One of them is unrepeatable in detail but was covered in summary in the Ipswich paper investigating this vile but not unique monster.

I don’t think even the most fervent defender of the DLS will say about him,’It’s not fair. He’s not alive to defend himself.’

Neither are the World War 2 nazis, but we all know they were monsters. So was this man.

Solomon looks so much older without his toupe which he adopted later when he became the Swinging Monk.He looks as scary in this photo as he really was.His faux holiness image only adds to his menace.

He certainly had a huge impact on me. I measure these things in therapy terms and he cost me around 8 sessions recently. So i certainly need his time at St J’s Ipswich to be noted. The local Ipswich paper were investigating him for a while quite recently.

St Joseph’s Ipswich Wikipedia entry has, I’m told, recently edited out the De La Salle brothers numerous crimes against children, apart from the very latest one – the lay teacher child abuser who killed himself rather than face court.

Good that there are records elsewhere, like here, of the crimes the school seeks to pretend never happened or have nothing to do with them, even though St J’s Ipswich says it is’In the La Sallian tradition’ and maintains endless links (e.g. uniforms) with the old and criminal regime. To them, we victims of De La Salle child abuse are just ‘collateral damage’ who should shut up and go away because we’re spoiling a money-making business.

There must be many parents who have chosen not to send their children to St J’s Ipswich after being made aware of its abusive history from this and other sites. And other parents who are reading about St Joseph’s Ipswich and Beulah Hill here for the first time.

In the schools’ defence it was – supposedly – only a minority of children who were raped or otherwise abused, and only a minority of De La Salle brothers who raped and sexually assaulted young boys. The rest were devout holy men and excellent teachers, according to many Old Boys who were not harmed. Lucky them. So what’s all the fuss about?

Well, Brothers Solomon, Kevin and James were just the tip of the abuser iceberg. It was organised Catholic paedophilia as my various posts and others’ testimonies confirm.

No one has taken the trouble to find out how and why or if it stopped. We just assume it stopped, some time in the 1990s. That’s how unimportant child abuse is to the Catholic authorities. Appearing to be holy is much more important.

So their crimes and other abuser brothers and lay teachers will rightly follow St Joseph’s College – Ipswich and Beulah Hill – for many years to come. It’s a cross they deserve to bear.

BROTHER LAURENCE HUGHES – THE MISSING APOLOGY

THE DE LA SALLES – THE MISSING INVESTIGATION

As you may have seen on my previous blog, the RLSS  – Religious Life Safeguarding Service –  have successfully arranged for DBS police checks on Cistercian monks on Caldey Island.  

So it’s a great step forward for Caldey Island Survivors and the RLSS are to be congratulated for their supportive work.

It suggests that, despite, IMO, the questionable nature of all Safeguarding organizations as ‘fronts’ to protect religious orders and priests, that individuals can still work within the system and create real change.  Even though independent agencies are the real answer.

But this still leaves the serious matter of the De La Salles and the RLSS long outstanding.

Currently there is a missing apology and a missing investigation.

Both are of considerable current importance to survivors of the De La Salles.

 I’ve got a little tired recently of reading in posts here how wonderful the DLS  were with barely a grudging nod to survivors, and often with the qualification, ‘But I never saw the brothers do anything wrong myself.’

Well, of course you didn’t because you weren’t at risk!  

It’s like we survivors are necessary collateral damage to fulfill the perverted desires of the De La Salles, while you high achievers got on with your splendid careers, thanks to these wonderful and ‘holy’ brothers you admire so much.

Such high achievers should reflect that, in my era, at least 10%  of every class were physically and sexually abused by the DLS. (I can break that down for skeptics.) That makes the DLS a criminal organization and it’s impossible to identify, with any certainty, who was good and who was evil. Only the blatant ones, a very few of whom were caught. Please reflect on that before you continue to sing the praises of a questionable organization that is still operating today and still has its hand out for more funding to continue its ‘holy work’ in the Global South.

So onto the missing apology and investigation.

I’ve been holding off for some time on both the foregoing, not least because the SCOE, the Safeguarding organization for religious orders of which the De La Salles was a client, was disbanded earlier last year and replaced by the RLSS, a new safeguarding organization.

Before it disappeared, the SCOE didn’t pass any information about these two matters above onto the RLSS.

But of course the SCOE was directed by the DLS who could have easily updated the RLSS.

In both instances, the Safeguarding organizations are limited by their client, the DLS, who actually have the real power as the RLSS have indicated to me.

To reprise, when it existed, the SCOE/DLS assured me there would be a public apology for the horrific corporal punishments delivered by Brother Laurence Hughes previously head of the DLS. He has been ‘reduced to the ranks’ following an investigation which is now complete without criminal charges being made.

I’ve been told that it’s almost impossible to bring criminal charges for physical abuse after such a long time period.

The important issue of how Laurence Hughes dismissed abuse complaints while he was head of the DLS has never been addressed.

Given that he has been reduced to the ranks, it should be.  It means that those complaining of child abuse received a hearing from a man who committed savage physical abuse on children.

Here’s what the SCOE actually said to me on 15^th July last year.

I have been waiting for confirmation on the outcome to the investigation
following receipt of allegations made against Bro Laurence Hughes (LH).

De La Salle (DLS) in the near future will be making a statement about of the
outcome of the investigation and I understand this statement will contain an
apology to victims and will be published. I will ask DLS to make the
statement easily accessible, through their website or to others if/as
requested (* see note below).

I understand that LH no longer holds any leadership or safeguarding role
within DLS.

AFAIK the DLS did not make a statement in the ‘near future’ as promised.

It was also stated, as you can see, that it would be a prominent apology, rather than the earlier example of a DLS apology on a separate and general matter. That was a vague and general apology to all survivors of DLS abuse. Such a cursory ‘sorry’ was buried on the DLS website only after I’d shown the announced apology was actually missing.   Even the Tablet had to acknowledge this was untoward.

And the DLS also said in a newspaper interview last year that there would be a thorough investigation of all the allegations about the DLS in Ipswich and elsewhere in the South of England which it suggested were ‘unheard of’.

As I’ve told the RLSS the cases against Brothers James, Kevin and Solomon in particular are overwhelming and need public acknowledgement by the De La Salles.  They also involve the Catholic laity who helped cover up the crimes of James and Solomon.

Since then, there has been nothing about this ‘investigation’ which I do not believe even exists.

There have been meetings between the RLSS and DLS with no outcome and emails from the RLSS assuring me of their best and genuine intentions.

Because they are a new organization I believed I should give them the benefit of the doubt and also in the interests of due diligence.

So – after an extended delay on the apology and the investigation – we are no further forward.

The DLS have done an excellent job of stalling for most of last year and their RLSS has played a role in this. 

The DLS – according to the RLSS – have not been very communicative with them either. Whilst I have some sympathy with them and the frustration they must feel, my priority is we survivors who have been harmed by the DLS.

The comments below relating to the CSSA (the ‘general’ Catholic Safeguarding agency) apply equally to the RLSS.

I think both commentators on twitter put it very well.

Reference Group 

@Smartcairns11·

Nov 11

Every ‘respectable’ persons engaged as the face of ‪#CSSA‬ must be responsible for their use by church leaders as a ‘smokescreen’ of safeguarding to disguise, facilitate false trust &  add more layers to leaderships cover up and concealment of clerical sex crimes.

‪@nazirafzal‬ ‪https://twitter.com/Smartcairns11/status/1590654903328051200…‬

Countess Sigrid von Galen

@instcrimjust

Nov 10

Those ‘respectable’ persons are dangerous accomplices, as they create a smokescreen & illusion of safeguarding to disguise & facilitate cover ups & ongoing crimes. All inquiries have shown that the churches can’t be trusted & safeguards are PR stunts. ‪https://twitter.com/Smartcairns11/status/1590654903328051200‬

Despite the positive result at Caldey Island, after my personal experience with the SCOE, the RLSS and the DLS, I see nothing to disagree with here, not least because Safeguarding organizations have very limited power.

Of course the real culprits are the De La Salles who would seem to be more formidable opponents than the Cistercians and who are treating survivors with absolute contempt.

Not the behaviour of supposed ‘holy’ men.

ST JOSEPH’S BEULAH HILL WEBSITE – SOLOMON AND JAMES

I’ve just come across this one off website with some powerful words about the De La Salles.

https://timssurvivestjosephsbeulahhill.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/tims-survive-st-josephs-college-beulah-hill/

Notably from readers’ comments:

Unlike Savile, no-one can be bothered holding to account the institution that nurtured and protected these destroyers of hundreds, possibly thousands of young lives. They preyed on the most innocent, the most vulnerable, with impunity. 11 fucking years old…That school and others like it should have been razed to the ground. Instead it carries on as if nothing had happened. No acknowledgement and no consequences. The effects of those times still haunt me practically every day.

Pat’s comment: Well said! We are holding them to account – through a work in progress on Brother James. Any one who remembers anything relevant on this man, do let me know.

BROTHER SOLOMON comment on this Beulah Hill site:

Solomon was a paedo I lived in fear of him. He would order me to come to his office at lunch time in my P.E. shorts with no underwear on. He would check by fondling me under my shorts. Behind the curtain in the office he would bring out from the bottom of a wicker basket/trunk lederhosen suede shorts and order me to put them on. For what seemed an age he would be stroking my bum. He threatened me with ‘six of the best’ if I turned around. I couldn’t tell my parents as my mother would have beaten me for telling lies.
The school and their so called Christian brothers have left me with major problems in my life.

Pat’s comment: This is the same vile pattern of behaviour Brother James used on two pupils at St J’s. ‘Don’t turn around’ for reasons I don’t need to spell out.

BROTHER JAMES comment on this Beulah Hill site:

You forgot brother James aka Jimmy Tremble a teacher so nervous he used to grind chalk into the palms of his hands presumably to give himself a form of stigmata.

Brother Wilfred a complete idiot who seemed to imply he was in the French Resistance.

Pat’s comment: This suggests that, by the time Brother James left Ipswich and went to Beulah Hill in 1970 he was in a poor state mentally. He may have had a series of breakdowns, according to one source.

There’s some confusion which may just be my source’s recollections. He remembers Brother James being 5’10 whereas I’d say he was 5’8 . My source says he was wearing different square glasses, but only some of the time. In fact, I know Brother James did change his glasses in later life.

Because his behaviour was identical, a crazed psychopath, I do not think there were TWO Brother James at Beulah Hill in the 1970s. That’s too weird, even for the De La Salles.

And – just to add to the confusion – my source says his Brother James also renamed himself Brother Wilfred. He may have done this temporarily. People who are having a crisis or breakdown do sometimes rename themselves. Or to escape justice.

Yet, as you see above, there actually was a Brother Wilfred!

I think it’s all symptomatic of the madhouse that was the De La Salle schools and I believe can be ‘unpacked’ and made sense of.

Any insights you have could be invaluable.

BROTHER JAMES – MOVING FORWARD

I’ve written many times about Brother James Ryan of my old school St Joseph’s College, Ipswich from 1960 to the late 1960s, after which he went to Beulah Hill. He was a serial sex offender and a notorious violent abuser – his excessive and terrifying use of corporal punishment was infamous. Both in Ipswich and in Beulah Hill.

He sexually abused me and two other St J’s Ipswich pupils. And possibly a further pupil. All our testimonies are on this site.

This and much more are still with Operation Hydrant and it’s still – theoretically – with this ‘independent investigation’ commissioned by the De La Salles which I haven’t heard from after seven months. I waited all this time to be sure; my questions were not answered, so it’s clearly not going to happen.

Of course we all know the DLS files will be bulging with allegations against James, but the DLS are never going to admit that or give us access.

So that’s enough. Their time is up.

This matter is now being taken further.

As you will appreciate, it wouldn’t be sensible for me to go into all the details here, but you’ll doubtless be able to join the dots yourselves. If you’d like to know more, you can email me and I’ll tell you what I can.

I chose James because he abused me personally and because there are the statements of others confirming his crimes.  And because of his clearly sociopathic nature. He genuinely needed psychiatric help.

As we all know, there are many other DLS abusers, but in a crowded field of contenders, James was arguably the worst.

With such an individual, and such a crime,  the more witnesses, directly or indirectly, the better. 

There are several layers to this, but, please – ALL of you are important and what you may have to say could be relevant and make all the difference.  Needless to say your anonymity is guaranteed.

I’m looking for:

1)Anyone else who was sexually abused by Brother James – in whatever manner, ‘minor’ or ‘serious’ – please get in touch with me in confidence. There are options for you to consider that I can describe to you. I stress your anonymity is ensured.

2)If you know of any sexual assaults by Brother James on other pupils at Ipswich, Beulah Hill, or elsewhere – do please get in touch.  Even ‘hearsay’ could be relevant because it could be followed up.

3)I’ve guestimated there are TEN cases of extreme violence by James on this site. You may have already related them on this site. Often they make horrifying reading.

Once again, do please get in touch with me direct. E.G. Confirming a past testimony you made or relating a new one. They are regarded as secondary to sexual violence, but they may still be significant , relevant and important.

And they help build a composite picture of this man.

4)If you were sexually abused by a lay teacher or a DLS brother who was contemporary with James, do also get in touch.

I’m thinking, particularly, of Brother Kevin and Brother Solomon.  But there may be others.

 In this context, it would be Brother Kevin in early years 1960 – 1965 approx.  (Rather than his later era at Oak Hill). Ditto Solomon 1959 – 1962 approx (Rather than his subsequent era at Beulah Hill and return as Mercado)

It builds a picture of just what was going on at St J’s when Brother James was abusing children sexually and physically. There may be some relevant detail that could be useful– E.G. location.

For instance, I remember him making threats like ‘I will give you six on the bare’. And ‘I will give you six in your pyjamas’.

Both these threats I remember were said with a questionable relish.  Anyone else recall this?  It suggests the cross-over from legitimate corporal punishment into something very different.

It may also be important if things develop  from James to a much wider scenario.

James may just be the starting point.

It would be premature for me to say more on this post, but I can enlarge privately.

5)Any general information you recall about James may be useful, even if you didn’t witness or were the victim of his abuse. Just to build up a character portrayal of this man.

Thus I recall him as my form teacher 1B in 1960. Brilliant Maths teacher for someone as hopeless as I was! An okay ‘deeply religious’ Scripture teacher. He took over as Prefect of Discipline from Solomon, approx 1961 and probably held the post until 1966. He was a loner who IIRC looked helpless and lost when a St J’s boy in 1962 had a serious bike accident on Stonelodge Lane.  He was a fanatical advocate for vocations. He was never shy or timid to my knowledge as claimed in his obituary, now removed. He was also provably sectarian and anti protestant. He was Irish and IIRC was an ex DLS pupil himself.

Anything anyone would like to add could be put on this post or sent to me. For example – did he sleep in one of those cubicles at the end of a dormitory? Which ones?  Did he ever supervise games, showers etc?  I don’t remember him doing so, but I was a day boy. Did he go on any of those school holidays abroad?

6)I’m going to write to some important figures to gain more information and possible support, regarding James.

We’re moving forward at last. It’s finally happening.

 It’s time the truth about this dark period of St J’s history was revealed. With your help it could be.  No more cover-ups and dismissing it as ‘all in the past, those were different times, it never did me any harm, and I don’t remember a thing, and why can’t these troublemaking Old Boys just get over it, move on and get a life?’

So many boys were harmed by this man as part of a continuum of serious physical and sexual abuse by the De La Salle brothers.

I really do believe the truth sets us all free.

INVESTIGATION INTO DE LA SALLE ABUSE

CURRENT POSITION

desbill.scoe@gmail.com

SCOE  – Safeguarding

Dear Des Bill

I wanted to see what the latest situation was regarding the numerous allegations of abuse by old boys, including myself, at the hands of the De La Salles. Not only at St Joseph’s Ipswich, but also Beulah Hill and elsewhere. As you know, they are all recorded on this website and have also been available in summary for an investigator’s convenience.

I’m aware that they have been sent to police Operation Hydrant, via yourself and Catholic Safeguarding, and I look forward to their response in due course. 

The DLS have also contacted Suffolk police  – see below – and this may be part of the Hydrant investigation or separate. It’s not been made clear and it would be useful to know.

It was also stated by the DLS spokesperson that an independent investigator would be commissioned to look into these allegations which he said were  ‘unheard of’.

‘ most of the accusations made on Mr Mills blog were “completely unheard of”, he (Hudd) said. 

See EADT December 11 2021

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/st-josephs-ipswich-abuse-monks-ask-police-8553626

“With regards to St Joseph’s, we’ve put the ball in Suffolk Constabulary’s court”, Mr Hudd said. “It’s up to them to work out what happened and if the abuse truly was systemic. 

“We’ve also hired our own independent and experienced child abuse investigator to assist the police. 

In fact ‘most’ allegations were ‘heard of’ and were  familiar to the DLS as survivors of Brother Kevin’s abuse prove on this site. And the Beulah Hill survivors who have made numerous allegations on line about Brother Solomon. 

For the DLS to claim they were unaware of these allegations and more is unconvincing.

The DLS own records will confirm that ‘most’ were ‘heard of’ as I’m sure Hudd knows only too well.

Moving onto the investigation, I have not had any contact from an investigator. But how else are they to reach the authors of the various allegations on my site?

We have been waiting these many months and nothing has happened. Who the investigator is has not been revealed to us.

I have the strong feeling that the investigator – six months later – has done nothing.

Is that the case?

You will recall that when the DLS provincial Laurence Hughes was being similarly investigated for allegations of his violent abuse of children, I put your independent investigator’s details on my site. Consequently, several Old Boys got in touch with the investigator.

As a system, it worked well and I have no complaints.

Surely that is the way to go here?

On which subject, I’m sure survivors of Hughes’s alleged violence would like to know what is happening. I understand that police action against Hughes is not proceeding? Is this correct? But I believe you said that – whatever the legal outcome – there would then be an internal inquiry? 

Is Hughes now reinstated as head of the DLS or has he ‘retired’ ? I think the survivors of his alleged assaults would like to know. 

I’m putting this letter up on my blog so survivors can be kept in the loop. I look forward to hearing from you.

Pat Mills