Court victory for Catholic sex-abuse claimant

Patrick Raggett, 52, of west London, claims he was subjected to years of "insidious" sexual abuse by a teacher at Preston Catholic College, in Lancashire.

He alleges that, while he was naked, Father Michael Spencer – who died in 2000 aged 76 – measured him "to chart his growth", filmed him performing exercises, photographed him and touched him inappropriately.

Mr Raggett's case is that he did not connect the experiences with years of under-achievement at work, a failed marriage and binge-drinking until he had therapy after a breakdown in April 200.

But the governors of the college, which closed in 1978, deny liability and argued at a preliminary hearing at London's High Court last year that, even if the abuse occurred, the case could not proceed as it was brought outside the legal time limit.

However, Mrs Justice Swift ruled that the case could go ahead to a full trial.

She accepted Mr Raggett's evidence that Father Spencer had subjected him to episodes of sexual assault and that he was sometimes abused several times a week.

At the Court of Appeal in London yesterday, Lords Justices Mummery, Thomas and Toulson announced that they had dismissed the appeal by the governors against her decision.

Mr Raggett said outside court: "I am very pleased with the outcome and I remain resolute and confident that in the end justice will be achieved."

Manchester-based solicitor Richard Scorer, who is an officer of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, said: "The church claims to be facing up to child abuse amongst priests. If that is the case, it needs to stop trying to use the legal system to suppress evidence of abuse."