St Edmund’s Orphanage

St Edmund’s Orphanage in Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside.

Michael John Carroll abused children at St Edmund’s Orphanage in Bebington, between 1964 and 1978, and Highland Road Children’s Home in Lambeth between 1980 and 1982.

The Lambeth home came under Operation Middleton.

Ex-orphanage worker admits string of sex offences

A FORMER care home manager has admitted sexually abusing 12 boys at homes in Wirral and South London.

Hotel owner Michael John Carroll pleaded guilty to 35 charges between November 1964 and June 1982 involving boys aged eight to 15.

The offences, involving indecent assault and indecency with a child, also include buggery of three boys, the youngest aged eight, and attempted buggery of three other boys.

Nine of the victims were resident at the Wirral home and the final three at a home in Lambeth.

A further 41 charges, involving these 12 victims and two further complainants – a boy and a girl – are to be laid on the file. Carroll, who owns the Hand Hotel in Chirk, North Wales, denied these charges.

Mr Timothy Holroyde, QC, prosecuting, said the guilty pleas were acceptable to the Crown and were specimens of a course of conduct by Carroll at St Edmund’s Orphanage in Bebington, between 1964 and 1978, and Highland Road Children’s Home in Lambeth between 1980 and 1982.

Balding Carroll, aged 50, of Plascerrig, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, leaned on the rail of the dock at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, checking the indictment before entering his pleas.

Allegations of gross indecency and indecent assault on a 23-year-old employee of the Chirk Hotel which Carroll denies, were also to be laid on the file, said Mr Holroyde.

But the Crown wanted time to consider their position in relation to charges of alleged rape against two young girls, which Carroll has denied, he said.

Carroll was arrested as part of Merseyside Police’s wide-ranging investigation into institutionalised child abuse code-named Operation Care.

Carroll worked at St Edmund’s until 1978 before taking up work as deputy officer in charge at Highland Road Children’s Home.

Carroll’s counsel, Mr Neil Flewill, said that Carroll knew there was no other form of sentence than custody.

Carroll was further remanded in custody for the preparation of reports and sentence on Friday, July 30.

Wirral Globe 08/07/99

Care worker had paedophile record

A SOCIAL worker who carried out dozens of sex attacks was allowed to keep his job as the head of a children’s home, despite the fact that local authority officials knew he had been convicted of a paedophile offence.

The decision by Lambeth Council in south London not to dismiss Michael Carroll after learning about his indecent assault on a 12-year-old boy emerged yesterday as he pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to 35 charges of child sex abuse over 20 years.

The council found out about Carroll’s conviction in l986 when he was running a children’s home in the borough, and issued him with a written warning. He was dismissed five years later after an investigation into financial irregularities.

Heather Rabbatts, Lambeth’s chief executive, admitted last night that the decision not to sack Carroll was a “serious error” which would not happen under today’s regulations. “Knowing what we know today about the nature of these offences and the nature of those who commit them, it was a mistake not to have dismissed this man. However, different legislation applied at that time and Carroll was allowed to continue in his post,” she said.

Ms Rabbatts, who was not in charge while Carroll was employed, said restrictions imposed by police and social services inquiries into alleged child abuses meant no further details about his actions as a council employee could be disclosed.

Scotland Yard has amassed a database of 14,500 names of children in the borough’s care between l974 and l995. Lambeth closed all its homes for children in care in l995 in response to concern about abuse.

Yesterday, Carroll, 50, of Oswestry, Shropshire, pleaded guilty to 24 indecent assaults, five cases of buggery and five of attempted buggery, and one act of gross indecency against 12 boys. All the offences took place while he was working in residential care in Merseyside and London between l966-86.

Carroll was originally charged with 76 offences. The Recorder let the remaining indictments lie on file. Sentencing will take place on 30 July.

Carroll, who was born in Liverpool and grew up in care, studied child care and obtained qualifications at Liverpool and Salford universities and the Mabel Fletcher College, Liverpool. He got a job at St Edmund’s Orphanage in Bebington, Merseyside, in the mid-Sixties and in 1978 became deputy officer at a children’s home in Lambeth, taking charge in 1980.

He was convicted of indecent assault against a 12-year-old in l966 when he was at St Edmund’s Orphanage. He failed to declare this conviction when he took up the post in Lambeth, but it came to light in l986 through police checks when he applied to foster two children from another borough.

Following a written warning, Carroll continued in his post until his dismissal over allegations of financial malpractice in l991. He moved to Chirk, Clwyd, and bought a hotel business. In l997 he came under suspicion during a major investigation into child abuse launched by Merseyside Police. He was arrested shortly afterwards.

The Independent 06/07/99

Social worker admits child abuse BBC 05/07/99