Was there abuse by masters of pupils 60 years ago? Probably a little - no more no less than there is these days and seen as heterosexual affairs between teachers and pupils... very rare indeed. Certainly none at the schools I went to: we pupils would have known and raised the roof.

Mind you, it took the knowledge of years to work out that my headmaster having one hand buried in his pocket whilst beating me, and grunting in a strange way, may have been indications of sexual abuse, but it didn't strike me at the time (unlike the frequently used cane).

No, I reckon this latest "scandal" is simply further evidence of people becoming aware that there's a damn good way to make money from compensation or get an explanation for failure in life or blame someone else for personal problems or just to get "victim" sympathy. More effective if the "perpetrator" is dead, but what is there to lose by jailing innocent people? Except getting bad karma in return; something the "victims" don't take seriously... until it happens to them.

Like stroke victim CURT in Vile Pervert: The Musical. Or that PR person Waxie Maxie. Or the red haired tabloid Editor, once married to a soap star, Flame Mitchell. Or the poor dead Judges. All fictional characters in that amusing and entertaining movie; free to view online at www.VilePervert.com

Hedda may be able to shed more light on them, but it appears an 'elephant in the room' here is an Australian legal firm.
Slater & Gordon have taken over a number of UK firms in recent years - including all of those embroiled in the burgeoning Historic Allegations Industry (Pannone being the latest acquisition)
I am told their reputation in the legal profession in Oz is almost Murdochian - other firms & institutions fear crossing their ruthless path & they are have begun to adopt 'political influence' too.

How great they have bought off the UK legal system too - lock, stock & smoking barrel.

we had a sport's master who was devilishly handsome and a young Olympic gymnast.

the battles fought by boys after gym class to be next to him (he always joined the communal showers)were legendary.

children are odd creatures and have the capacity to re-write history in later years as adults and turn innocent budding sensuality into something sordid.

aided of course by the usual suspects who read ugliness into everything.

We had a wonderful old perve - he was the housemaster, and always came into the bathrooms where all we boys were sitting in a large communal bath. He used to wiggle his hand in the water to check the temperature, any boy in the way got a quick grope. We all just laughed about it, we never dreamt of complaining.
After leaving school, I occasionally bumped into him when out cottaging.
He retired a well respected Master

He is dead now, so perhaps I can augment my pension by making a claim against my school!

Gnomo wrote:
We had a wonderful old perve - he was the housemaster, and always came into the bathrooms where all we boys were sitting in a large communal bath. He used to wiggle his hand in the water to check the temperature, any boy in the way got a quick grope. We all just laughed about it, we never dreamt of complaining.
After leaving school, I occasionally bumped into him when out cottaging.
He retired a well respected Master

He is dead now, so perhaps I can augment my pension by making a claim against my school!

Legally your pension fund can feel a quick influx

I didn't see it happen at my school, although we used to snigger at the 2 masters who would be instructed on the end of term sanitorium memo to get their jabs for their regular trips to Thailand during the holidays. One was eventually arrested several years later trying to obtain child pornography, the other did a moonlight flit to Thailand and now apparently works there at a primary school. Another master was arrested in possession of child pornography at their new school and jumped off Beachy Head.

Schools, I suspect did and still do their fair share of cover-ups to avoid bad publicity. One of these masters had downgraded from a very top boarding school to our very minor boarding school - I suspect dishonorably sacked, but with a clean reference.

At my prep school I recall it now as being odd that certain school masters used to hang around the showers after games to make sure we washed. I do remember vividly certain things like this and the blisteringly hot showers, steam and muddy, wet floors.

However, as I said, I have not heard of anyone in my peer group who was actually abused. Maybe like those that were bullied at school, they are keeping a lid on it? Or perhaps, having had a more privileged upbringing and therefore more successful life, they have less need to seek recourse?

Or Foz, simplest of all, it just never actually happened?

Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim,didn't realize that.

Never mind adults abusing children. What about children abusing adults?

JK2006 wrote:
Or Foz, simplest of all, it just never actually happened?

Quite possibly!

Pattaya wrote:
Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim,didn't realize that.

I think you are on the wrong thread, Pat !