Napac Appeals

NAPAC have asked for any former pupils of the Royal Caledonia School in Bushey and the Royal Alexandra & Albert School in Reigate to contact them urgently about abuse: peter@napac.org

Royal Caledonian School, Bushey

Or take the case in Hertfordshire at the Caledonian School in Bushey, a privately run residential home principally for the children of army personnel where two housemasters were sent to prison in 1995 for sexual offences against boys.  The Queen Mother used to visit the school every year, sometimes with the Queen, because she was its patron.  Yet there was virtually no coverage at a national level.  Even one of the police officers who investigated the case said to me: ‘I cannot understand why there was no coverage.  It seemed like a story made for the tabloids.

Forgotten Children, Christian Wolmar, 2000, p.42

Royal Alexandra & Albert School, Reigate

A FORMER housemaster at an upmarket boarding school in Reigate has been jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of a string of historic sexual offences against two boys there.  Colin York, 62, was jailed at Guildford Crown Court last Thursday (May 2) after a jury convicted him of five charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

During a trial, jurors heard how York, of Hoades Hill in Wickham, Hampshire, abused his position as assistant housemaster at the Royal Alexandra & Albert School to sexually abuse two young boys in the 1970s.

The court was told that the defendant, who has worked as an occupational therapist since his resignation more than 40 years ago, was jailed for 28 months in 2011 after being convicted for sexually abusing two other boys at the school. He was found guilty of 10 offences of gross indecency with a child and three of indecent assault.

Prosecutor Christopher Hehir said that as a result of the earlier convictions – which the defendant still denies – two men contacted the police to say they had also been abused by York while they were pupils at the Royal Alexandra & Albert.

Get Surrey 07/05/13

NAPAC provides support and information for people abused in childhood.