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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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Childhood can be a
lonely time for disadvantaged kids, particularly those growing up without
parents. Agencies which act in loco parentis take a huge responsibility on
their shoulders. Recent allegations
suggest that is a responsibility Presbyterian Support Services has not borne
well. Fourteen former residents of the Berhampore Children's Home – an
orphanage run by the service – have told police they were sexually assaulted
by the home's former head of social services, Walter Lake. Police were persuaded
by the "strong similarity in a large number of the complaints" to
ready charges against Lake, who ran the home from 1959 till shortly before it
closed in 1985. But Lake, an OBE and
justice of the peace, died last November aged 84, before the charges could be
laid. The Presbyterian
Church's response to the allegations has been to distance itself from the
agency that bears its name. The home was not under its management or control.
It was run by Presbyterian Support, a separate legal entity with a
"common heritage". Presbyterian Support's
response has been to refuse to deal with former residents who speak to the
media or engage a lawyer. The organisation is not
liable for the alleged crimes and will not "expose itself to allegations
of a cover-up by writing out cheques", spokesman Trevor Roberts says. Mr Roberts clearly
suspects the motives of those alleging abuse. "In some cases, money is
clearly at stake here." It may well be. Victims
of sexual abuse are entitled to whatever recompense they can get, though no
amount of money will compensate them for lost childhoods or adulthoods
blighted by memories of abuse and betrayed trust. Seeking compensation does
not invalidate their claims or absolve the agency of responsibility for what
occurred on its watch. In addition to doubting
the motives of the claimants, Mr Roberts also appears sceptical about the
claims themselves, saying the facts have not been established. He draws
comfort from the fact that two, possibly three, previous police
investigations into the home did not result in charges. He should attach
equal weight to the latest investigation which found sufficient evidence to
put before the courts. As he has been quick to
point out, establishing the truth about what happened 30 or 40 years ago is
difficult, particularly when many potential witnesses are dead. But
Presbyterian Support and the Presbyterian Church have a responsibility to do
everything they can to assist the process. Refusing to engage with the
claimants is not good enough. Presbyterian Support
should ask itself why anyone would make up such accounts and how they can be
doubted when so many tally on key points. Having apparently
failed the former residents of the Berhampore orphanage when they were
children, the organisation now appears to be failing them again as adults. It should deal fairly
and openly with the former residents and help them to close the door on a
terrible chapter in their lives. At the moment, it
appears more concerned with its bank balance than with vulnerable young
children who were placed into its care decades ago. |
