Well events are coming along nicely in the case of alleged abuse of pupils by Monsignor Duggan, Rector of St Bede’s College from 1950 -1966, 16 years when unbridled sexual abuse of young boys was an everyday occurrence in the life of the College. Carefully picked and even more carefully groomed young boys were dreadfully handled by Duggan and some of his fellow members of the clerical staff.
On 28th April 2014 Panone, the Manchester solicitors are bringing a case in the Manchester courts against the Salford Diocese, amongst others I understand, for the alleged sexual abuse of two boys in the 1955 intake at the College. These two boys were alerted to the ongoing cause I was waging against the Diocese and the school since 2010 but only came forward after the painfully poor apology by Brain, the Bishop of Salford, published in the Manchester Evening News on 15th March 2011.
Instead of contacting me, they decided to make their own way and contacted Panone in about 2012. A mistake on their part I consider because my contact with Panone has left naught but bad taste in my mouth. However these two boys, old men now at 70 years of age, need all the support we can give them, so I ask all that can to be there for them on 28th April. I do not yet know times or even which court it is to be tried in but will let you know courtesy of this blog nearer the event.
Of course this case is only really a sideshow to the big event. The cause I started in early 2010 and which gathered pace after the foolish bishop made the limp apology in 2011 which saw me disentangle myself from the cloying and lying arms of the obfuscating and devisive Child Safeguarding Commission of the Salford Diocese led by that mountebank cleric, Barry O’Sullivan and that silver tongued lizard of a lawyer, Michael Devlin. Their sole purpose was to cover up and deter complaints of clerical sexual abuse against vulnerable children, the exact opposite of their polished policy.
Anderson Olivarius, like knights in shining armour, came galloping over the hill and their senior partner, Ann Olivarius, took on the burden of my cause. Ann, who only recently called me the biggest pain in the arse she has ever met, set out with her team, who have worked their socks off for 2 years and ten months, intending to turn our case into a groundbreaking event in the area of British law with which we are dealing. This case if we are lucky might come off this year but look out for it and certainly I will announce it when the time comes. It is due in the High Courts of Justice in London
As regards the side show, which nevertheless is still very important, they have 16 witnessses to help prove the abuse took place, we have over 40 supporting the fellows who were victims of this horrible abuse. It promises to be a shocking indictment of the Diocese and possibly a killer blow to the school, which has been on a downward path since William Green, another cleric, received 8 years in prison in 2008 for his awful abuse of young boys at the school whilst there as a teacher of religion in the 1980s. I would expect the MEN to make a limp performance at both trials but do not rely on them for truth and honesty. That will only come from this pen and others who are absolutely disgusted with the way the Catholic Church have acted in this instance.
Before I go let me remind you of a certain event in 2010. Sometime in September of that year an excited Barry O’Sullivan rang me one Saturday morning. Paul he said, the bishop, monsignor Quinlan, Michael Barber (the head of Bede’s at the time) and I had a meeting yesterday and out of it came evidence of a very damning nature against Duggan, evidence that is so damning that I cannot talk on the phone or even write about it in an e-mail, I suggest you get over here as soon as possible and sit with us round the table. Amazed by this turn of events I made travel enquiries and set a date for 5th November 2010. In the interim O’Sullivan engineered a breakdown in our relationship, subsequentially browbeating me over the phone in language that the clergy are not supposed to know. He called me an unreliable and unworthy advocate for the men I represented (there was no lawyers at this stage). I was heartbroken but I kept the meeting alive and sent my proxies along who were accepted as long as the diocese had my solemn assurance that I had resigned from the cause. I suppose we can all tell a fib if needs must. The three proxies went to the meeting on 5th November whilst I waited outside. The proxies asked the question of the new and damning evidence, only O’Sullivan had turned up for the diocese and he said with a perfect Catholic poker face, “I have no recollection of saying that to Mr Malpas”.
They obviously have known all about Duggan from at least that day in September 2010 if not before, yet they have chosen to hide it and make us fight every inch of the way. They are the biggest bunch of religious evil tosspots that I have ever met. Michael Barber, left Bede’s shortly afterwards, I can only think he had a different policy on how to deal with this problem.
The wheels of justice move very slowly indeed, but perhaps the end-game is at last in sight as regards Bedes. Not before time, I suggest.
Just to think, if the College and Diocese had made anything resembling a genuine apology as regards the abuse three years ago, it would not have come to this sorry state of affairs.
My only personal worry is by the time the court cases are heard in Manchester and London, battle fatigue as regards child abuse will have set in.
The list so far of abuse cases since late 2011 – Jimmy Savile,still dead, but never proved guilty of anything whilst alive. Stuart Hall – pleaded guilty, currently in HMP Wymott, Leyland, recently charged with yet more offences. William Roache, Michael le Vell – both tried, both found not guilty. Dave Lee Travis – found not guilty of 12 offences, to be re-tried on two others where no verdict could be reached by the jury. Fred Talbot, the weatherman – charged this week with alleged offences going back to 1968. Max Clifford – trial started this week,alleged offences going back to 1966.
To come – next month, Rolf Harris. To follow,other high profile celebrities rumoured to be under the microscope, no doubt someone at the CPS will be ensuring these cases come up at regularly spaced intervals to ensure maximum publicity, no chance to ‘Bury the Bad News’ a la 9/11 then.
In the middle of all this, a very serious local case, involving no celebrities, St Bede’s College. Our local rag, the MEN has, fairly consistently, given both barrels of the full blast of publicity to the celebrity cases and also to the various machinations enacted at Bede’s over the last three years.
That is until recently. In January, both the Sunday Times (front page, no less) and the BBC 10 o’clock news ran stories about our once lauded Alma Mater. From the MEN since – not a peep. Very strange, until you notice the number of Old Boys on the MEN payroll.
I e-mailed the MEN Editor nearly a month ago to ask why no mention of Bede’s stories, as both the Sunday Times and BBC thought the story had what is euphemistically described as ‘legs’. To date, no reply.
I sincerely hope when the court case get under way next month the MEN does not continue to abrogate its responsibilities, or a rather unpleasant conclusion might be drawn from their failure to act in the matter.
Let’s face it though, now the lawyers are heavily involved, do not expect swift action. Bede’s have already employed several delaying tactics to drag out a court hearing, then there is the complexity and sheer number of witnesses for the prosecution. Also there is the fact there are currently two sets of lawyers involved for the case against the College, together with the nightmare possibility for Bede’s that punitive damages may be awarded.
Then of course, there’s always the danger that further victims may decide to come forward, ensuring the merry-go-round continues to revolve……
We should remind ourselves that the most corrupt people in this country are solicitors, judges, journalists, MSM, police, the catholic clergy, the political classes and all who remunerate themselves from this shit pot. Do not expect justice because these people never knew the meaning of the word. This is why lady justice wears the blindfold. At best we can expect a ruffling of feathers. The most positive outcome we should expect is that these testimonies are put on public record and anyone who goes anywhere near a catholic establishment ever again will be tarred with the toxic brush of complicity.
We should also take these moments to remember the many billions of us who have fallen victim to the unspeakable cruelty of the catholic church, from the castrati to the modern day. I leave you all with a small thought for the day. We only have ourselves to blame…
What do you mean by fudgers?
Nowhere in this piece have I used the word fudger as far as I can see but where I have used it before I am referring to the clerical members of the Holy Roman Catholic Church of whom, I understand, 50% are gay. I also understand that 10% of this clergy have paedophilic tendencies and that 10% are scattered both sides of the hetero/homo divide.
I am sorry that you inferred from my text that gay people are paedophiles because that was not my intention at all because as you say that is not born out by stats.
Underage victims of rape are victims whichever side of the divide they belong, the law is perfectly clear on that. Once again I apologise if you made that assumption, it was not my intention and I will go through my pieces to see where fudger is mentioned and try to reword it to allay your feelings. I hope this answers both of your comments.
Is it equating gay people with underage rape? The stats don’t bear that out. What about victims who are gay? Are we fudgers or victims?