Catholicchildren'shome in new abuseinquiry

Police are investigating a raft of fresh child abuse claims at a notorious children’s home in East Yorkshire.

A team of detectives are looking into new allegations which have been made against “several” members of the Catholic teaching brotherhood at St William’s Community Home, in Market Weighton.

They have come to light after two members of the De Salle Order of Christian Brothers were jailed for abusing a number of boys in their care in a series of high profile cases.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Leaver, of Humberside Police, has overall command of the new investigation, which involves 16 officers from the force’s major incident team.

It is expected to last upwards of a year.

Mr Leaver said: “We have launched a fresh inquiry into serious sexual and physical abuse at the former care home for boys in Market Weighton.

“There have been numerous allegations made by 21 complainants against several former members of staff. They are all fresh allegations.

“Seventeen of the complainants were passed onto us by a solicitor conducting a civil claim against the Catholic church and four came to us directly.

“They are very grim accusations which cover the 1960s, 70s and 80s. We will look into the matters in a robust fashion.”

The latest investigation, code-named Operation Reno, follows two similar inquiries centred around the former care home.

The former principal, Brother James Carragher, abused vulnerable boys “some as young as 12” in the swimming pool, in the showers, in his personal chambers, and even in the care home’s chapel.

Some of his victims were plied with alcohol while others were made to take drugs. Details of the abuse by Carragher and his colleague, Father Anthony McCallen, first emerged in the 1990s.

Carragher was finally jailed for seven years for a catalogue of abuse and McCallen was imprisoned for three-and-a-half years, reduced to two on appeal, for indecent assault and taking indecent pictures of young boys in 1993.

In 2001, nine separate accusations of abuse by teachers were made by former residents at the home.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Kerman, then a detective inspector, took charge of Operation Aldgate.

After three years, 26 people had been accused, dozens and dozens of accusations of abuse had been lodged and hundreds of people had been interviewed.

Carragher was jailed this time for 14 years after being found guilty of a catalogue of sexual offences against a total of 22 victims.

Five other members of the De Le Salle Order were acquitted and all then lodged complaints with the IPCC.

Mr Leaver said: “I don’t think this is definitely the last we have heard from St William’s.”

The investigation comes months after details of a five-year, 1m investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) came to light which highlighted a series of failings by police.

The new criminal investigation has been launched as Jordans solicitors, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which passed on the details of 17 of the complainants to the police, is awaiting a decision by the High Court as to whether the De La Salle Order should be jointly responsible for compensation.

The appeal was launched by the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough after a High Court ruled it was responsible, and not the Order.