Dorset County Council Refuses To Comment On Institutional Pedophilia Case

Since the Jimmy Savile case broke and the details of how the BBC was complicit in the rape of hundreds of young boys and girls came to light, there has been some movement towards attempting an inquiry into "historical institutional abuse." Unlike in the US where many scoff at the idea of powerful men and women involved in organized child trafficking and exploitation, the UK is at least paying lip service with their Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

The IICSA was set up to examine allegations of institutionalized pedophilia perpetrated by local authorities, religious organizations, armed forces, public and private institutions as well as politicians and celebrities. After Jimmy Savile died in 2011, hundreds of people came forward to explain how they'd been abused by the DJ and children's television show host. The BBC, several schools, children's home and NHS sites were found to be sites of abuse many members of the public. As a result, the IICSA was announced in July of 2014. The IICSA has run into some issues since the beginning from internal controversies to claims of a "witch hunt" being conducted.

One recent case in the news is related to "fixated paedophile" and disgraced headmaster of the Sherborne Preparatory School, Robin Lindsay. The Dorset County Council has refused to comment on a 25-year-old report that shows that pupils had already brought their concerns to administration five years before the Lindsay was finally removed from his position. Survivors of his abuse came forward to Somerset Live and ITV recently. The reports themselves show that the headmaster had tried to convince at least one student the abuse had only existed in a dream.

Freedom of Information requests resulted in documents related to an inspection carried out by social services in 1993. Lindsay was accused of sexual assault and encouraging the children to "share his bed and joining them naked in the showers." Police had already investigated him in 1986, but the allegations were dismissed as having been made with malicious intent. During the second investigation Lindsay admitted some of the charges but claimed that the event was open to misinterpretation.

Dorset Social Services let him off with a warning in 1993 but when they were brought back in 1997 the follow-up report was described as "damning in the extreme." It was not until 1998 before the Department of Education finally barred him from teaching. At this time he retired from the school saying he wanted to work on clearing his name. The tribunal described him as a "fixated paedophile" who posed a "serious risk to children" but parents of his pupils were among those who tried to defend him.

One wrote into a paper claiming that "his only fault is to have a little of the eccentricity that we British are famed for." Lindsay never faced any charges for his wrong-doing before he died in July 2016. The second report from 1997, by the way is now said to be "lost or destroyed" according to the tight-lipped Dorset County Council. The council claims they will cooperate with the inquiry into how he was allowed to get away with abusing children for so long, but are declining to answer questions regarding what happened to the "damning" second report and why he was allowed to continue as headmaster afterwards.

Somerset Live reached out to the Dorset County Council with several questions they were not interested in answering, but did offer this statement:

"We are not able to comment any further on the matter. However, if an inquiry is called we would fully co-operate if asked to take part."

Source:

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/historic-abuse-sherborne-prep-council-1435620