St Bede’s College

St Bede’s College, Whalley Range, Manchester

One of the most striking stories of child abuse dating back to this time involves St Bede’s College in Whalley Range, Manchester, an esteemed Catholic grammar school for boys at the time.  St Bede’s College was closely tied with the Catholic Diocese of Salford.  Between 1950 and 1966, the Rector of St Bede’s College was Father Thomas Duggan, who was elevated to the status of Monsignor around 1958.  As reported in the Manchester Evening News last year, more than 50 former pupils of St Bede’s have recently come forward to the Diocese of Salford to highlight the sexual and psychological abuse they experienced while at the school, specifically at the hands of Monsignor Duggan, who molested, fondled, and raped these boys in his care. This abuse was only brought into the public light after one former pupil, Paul Malpas, began discussing his time at St Bede’s and his concerns about Duggan on his personal blog.

Legal link 26/10/12