WIGAN - TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Sexual abuse is the tip of a tipping iceberg. - Lemn SissayLemn Sissay

Ricky on April 1, 2015 at 4:05 pm said:

My name is Ricky and I am a victim of childhood abuse from the 1970’s at the tender age of 14 and would like to share my story with you in the hope that you may take my case on.

In 1976 I was arrested and charged with shoplifting some toys from a local store, the court decided that I should be assessed before taking further action and I was to be taken straight from the juvenile court and taken to Woodend Assessment Centre in Atherton, Wigan for 6 weeks.

I was taken there by a driver who was employed by Northampton Social Services and I experienced my first traumatic moment. The driver brought me some cigarettes and sweets and started to play with my private parts and told me to play with his.

Due to past experiences as I was abused by a family member (who has now passed over) and a local neighbour, I was not scared just thought it was normal. However, halfway to Woodend he stopped in a lorry park and took me into the men’s toilet and told me to take down my trousers, he then forced his penis inside me which made me bleed, it was very painful and I tried to cry out but he put his hand over my mouth to prevent this happening. I was so scared my whole life flashed before my eyes and he said “if you speak of this I will hurt you and your family, also I will be collecting you in 6 weeks’ time “. He then put me back into his car and continued to our destination.

I was greeted by a stern looking man who petrified me; the driver signed me in and then left me. The man told me, “you are with us now and in here you are just a number and if you step out of line once you will be punished”. He also informed me that all the staff should be called sir or madam and he only used my surname to address me. I was then taken to a bathroom where I was stripped naked and put into a bath where he cut my fingers and toe nails. Once I had finished bathing he told me to open my mouth and close my eyes, in which he preceded to put his penis in my mouth. I felt like I was going to choke to death especially when this fluid came from his penis and down my throat, it tasted disgusting. Thoughts were racing through my mind, will I ever go back to my mother or will I die here. I felt so alone and frightened and just wanted to go home.

Afterwards I was taken to my bedroom which was just a room with a bed in it. The door had a small key hole in and a buzzer on the wall, I was told if I used the buzzer more than once in the night I would be punished.

Later I was taken to meet the other boys who were staying there. I was taken back a bit when the boys spoke as they all had different accents from me, I had only heard a Northamptonshire accent before, there were boys from Liverpool, Manchester and Wigan. I could tell straight away they did not like me and all because I spoke differently from them.

For the next six weeks I was beaten by other the boys and also members of staff and at one point knocked unconscious for over 24 hours by the maths teacher who smashed my head against the black board. This was done because I found the subject he was teaching hard partly due to the fact that I struggled to understand his accent and didn’t know what he was saying. At no point was I given any medical treatment and no doctor was called in to check me over and ensure I was ok.

I was also sexually abused by the night watchman and witnessed beatings to other boys it was a very cruel regime. At regular periods several members of staff would take us to the gym and beat us as a punishment. All you could hear was the anger coming from them and cries of pain from the boys being beaten.

I tried my best to be good for the six weeks I was there hoping and praying that I would return home to my mother soon but it was to no avail. As he promised the same man who took me to Woodend picked me up and took me back to Northampton, where he again touched me but thankfully didn’t repeat the awful toilet experience and told me that I was never to speak about this to anyone as he knew where my family lived.

I was taken back to Juvenile court where the report that was compiled at Woodend (which I have a copy of), which is so condescending, no mention of the abuse I suffered by their hands, it was recommended that I shouldn’t return to the family home and should be placed in the care of the local authorities. The court acted on this recommendation and sent me to St. Johns school in Tiffield where I stayed until I was 16. Though I was not sexually abused at St John’s the physical abuse continued not just by staff but I was also bullied by the other boys. I feel had this abuse not happened I would have never been put into care. I would have been well behaved and been able to return to my Mother after the 6 weeks was up at Woodend. I hold whoever wrote that report responsible for incarcerating me into a care for nothing.

I feel I was treated very harshly being subjected to being removed from my mother and family and placed into an alien environment then into care for stealing a dinky toy, felt tip pens and some jumping puppets plus a pifco fan and battery’s I did not deserve to be abused sexually, mentally and physically for such a petty crime.

I am now 51 but for the past 37 years I have lived in fear and pain, I have been in and out of hospital after trying to commit suicide, I am unable to bond with males and all of my relationships have broken down due my insecurities.

Four years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar one but have suffered mental illness all through my adult life. I sometimes wonder if I actually have bipolar or did I sustain a head injury while in care? These questions still need to be answered and I am currently under a neurosurgeon investigating this further.

I took this to Greater Manchester Police back in the 1990’s when they started investigating child abuse at Woodend but was told that it wasn’t in the public interest to take my case any further. Last year the investigation was re opened by Greater Manchester Police and I was asked to give a statement. However, again my case was dropped, this time through lack of evidence but they never gave me any further detail. As you can imagine I was devastated to have my hopes raised that justice would be done and I could finally get closure only to be let down again. There were 35 reported cases against Woodend in this recent police investigation but only 5 are now still ongoing, this isn’t very encouraging that any arrests will be made.

I have been fighting this for so long now and with no help from the police or council, however, again I have some hope that the end maybe in sight as just recently for the first time the Chief Executive of Wigan County Council spoke out and apologised publically to the victims of Woodend. I had a conference call with her recently (this was recorded with Ms Hall’s permission), where she apologised to me personally and she asked me “what can Wiggin Council do to help you” and to put in a claim against them. She has also offered me some counselling for the trauma I have suffered she said “she was told it was like a little Coldiz in Woodend” and I have to agree with her it was.

At present I don’t have a lawyer acting for me, I do have a rape crises officer dealing with my case at Serenity in Northampton, her name is Gillian O’Leary, and she is applying for compensation from CICA on my behalf. But to be honest the best compensation would be to see justice done and bring the abusers to trial. So I could tell them face to face how they made me feel and what pain and suffering they have caused me over the past 37 years.

However, a financial settlement would help me rebuild my life and to get a proper education which I missed out on, though it will never take away the pain and nightmares that they have caused me to have.

I would like to know if there is a willing solicitor to take on my case and help me achieve my goal of Justice not only for me but show all survivors of this type of abuse to show there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I have all my records from the County Council of Northampton showing details of the transfer to Wigan, I also have my assessment from Woodend and all my Social Services reports. In my opinion Northampton and Wigan County Council are responsible for these crimes, even if they can’t bring the perpetrators to trial. I therefore, would like to file a claim against both Councils for the pain and suffering I have had to endure over the last 37 years. I have medical records which prove this. I lay no blame on Donna Hall she was not in office when these crimes was committed and I am so thankful for all she is doing to help me and other abuse victims of Woodend. Donna has offered me some form of counselling and has advised me to put in a claim against the Wigan county council. Wigan Cllr Gareth Fairhurst has spoken to me on the phone and he would like all the victims to contact him , we are taking this to Downing Street we are not going to be swept under the carpet again you can contact him direct via his blog or the contact details below .Tel: 01257 42 32 12

Email: garethfairhurst@gmail.com

Twitter: cllrgwfairhurst

Facebook: facebook.com/cllrgarethfairhurst

http://garethfairhurst.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/abuse-scandal-at-wigan-council-care.html