a Colwyn Bay boarding school dur- ing the 1970s have led to an internal investigation by the current headteacher. Several former pupils of Rydal School on Pwllycrochan Avenue have contacted the Weekly News claiming they were either victims or witnesses of sexual, physical and mental abuse between 1970 and 1980. Current headmaster Patrick Lee-Browne has stressedthat none of the members of staff allegedly involved are now at the school, and that an invest- igation is being carried out. Four former pupils claim that one member of staff was so brazen with his behaviour that he would openly man-handle and fondle boys in full view of classes. Another man, Alexander Curzon, says he was abused by several different mem- bers of staff. Despite the matter being reported to North Wales Police, the complainants saythat all the members of staff involved in the abuse are nowdeceased, and they do not wish to proceed with a criminal case to be played out in the courts. Father-of-three Alexander Curzon, 50, of Weybridge, who runs a manufactur- ing business, boarded at Rydal between 1970-80 andsays he wants to expose what went on in the hope others will come forward and find closure. It was hell. My school days were a living nightmare for 10 years of my life. Sexual abuse and mental degradation was meted out by vindictive staff. It was abhorrent. It was the worst type of sexu- al abuse, he said. I want other people to come forward now. There are significant others who are victims whoare not preparedtofully addressit andI want themtofindclosure too. But 32 years later I feel I want to expose what happened. I feel nothingbut contempt for the people who abused me. I dont regard themas people, just a poor excuse for humanity. Alexander, whowasknownat school as Sandy, says the members of staff who abused him all those decades ago are now dead and says he does not want a formal police investigation. I reported it to police in February after complaining to the school. Thats what the school wantedme todo. But the ones that abused me are dead. There is no path of justice to pursue, he said. Myviewis that policetimeis valuable and an investigation is only worthwhile if there is a satisfactory conclusion. We cant dig themup and put themin court and I didnt have the emotional resources for this until the last three By RICHARD EVANS Tel. 01492 574481 does not, however, make them less ser- ious. We have invited Mr Curzon to formalise his complaint by initiating a police investigation, and we have provided the police with all the relevant information and are giving them every assistance we can. As yet, no formal police investigation nor any civil proceedings have been initiated, but the school is carrying out its owninvestigationintothe allegations and while that process is underway, it would not be appropriate for me to say anything further. School investigates claims of sexual abuse made by former pupils RYDALMount School was foundedby Thomas Osborn in 1885. The school, a boys boarding school in the Meth- odist tradition, was named after the house on Lansdowne Road which Os- born had acquired from Rev Fred- erickPayne, a wealthy benefactor and Wesleyan minister who lived in Col- wyn Bay. Five years earlier, in 1880, Penrhos College had been founded as a Meth- odist girls boarding school, also a result of the generosity of Rev Payne. The building presently occupied by Rydal Penrhos Preparatory School was first occupied by Rydal Prep School in 1953. The oldest part of the building was originally the property of Lady Erskine, owner of the Pwl- lycrochan estate in Colwyn Bay. Rydal PrepSchool mergedwithPen- rhos Junior School in 1995 to become Rydal Penrhos Preparatory School. In 2003, Rydal Penrhos Prep School underwent a further merger with an- other well-establishedjunior school in Colwyn Bay, Lyndon School. Lyndon moved to the Rydal Penrhos Prep School site and initially preserved its name. However, in 2010, the school was renamed Rydal Penrhos Prep School, and the schools library is nowknown as the Lyndon Library. The Prep School offers co-education from age 2 to 11. Like the Senior School, the Prep School has a Christian ethos with chapel and prayers daily. Source: rydalpenrhos.com years. The police were prepared to do it until I put the brakes on. Jonathan Andrews, 50, is a medical professional who lives in Harrogate and attended the school between 1975-80. He claims he was abused daily. I was abused over three times a day for three years. My abuse was happening through les- sons right up until my O-levels, he said. I was one of the young pretty boys targeted in front of the whole class. I used to shiver with fear whenever the boy two desks behind me was targeted, I knew I was next. X would put his left elbow under your chin and lift you up from your desk with his arm. He would then unbutton your shirt in front of the whole class and put his right hand down your shirt and underpants. Youcouldnt move as youwere rigidwith fear. I tried to stop him by trying to scar himwithaballpoint peninhis armbut it didnt make any difference. Jonathanadded: I bumped into him in the post office a few years ago. I looked at him face to face and shuddered. I should have punched him in the face he still had power over me. He was a shrivelled old man and I was 47 in my prime but all I could say was hello sir. This is the power these people have over you. It never goes away. Another former pu- pil, who now lives overseas, joined the school in 1978 aged 16. He claims to have walked inona member of staff abusing a small blond boy. I was shocked and horrified by what I saw, as there was clearly some form of sexual activity going onbetweenthe boy and X, he said. I tried to keep my distance fromX as much as possible, but inevitably I would have to interact with him. He was in a position of authority and abused this authority to feed his own desires, in a way that was perverse and humiliating. I must stress I was never personally sexually abused, althoughI was aware it was occurring with other pupils. Another former pupil, Alan Davies, 49, is now a London police officer, and ad- ded: I was witness to many occasions when X would emerge fromhis private rooms andfondle one of mydormmates, whilewesat attemptingtodoour prepin our pyjamas and dressing gown. He would grab whoever it was by the shoulders as we sat on the laundry baskets and pull that person backwards until the boys head was resting in his crotch, all thewhilegrinningas if it were just a bit of harmless fun. We were, as young boys, powerless to stop his predatory behaviour as he loosened upper clothing and placed his hand inside to play with the victim. Another former pupil, now a 50-year-old father living in Maidstone, added: I saw X man-handle younger weaker boys on a daily basis. The behaviour consisted of undoing topclothingandplacinghishandsinside the back and front of boys shirts and then sliding his hands down inside trousers to fondle their nether regions. This behaviour was never welcomed by the victims, who would squirm in embarrassment as this sordidbehaviour took place in full viewof others but who were too scared or feeble to prevent it. North Wales Police confirmed that a complaint had been made but said that they were waiting for an official state- ment from a victim to proceed. Rydal Penrhos headteacher PatrickLee Brown commented: Mr Curzon has made allegations about abuse while he was at Rydal School in the 1970s. There has been no suggestion that the allegations relate to any pupils or staff currently at the school, or that there are any concerns for the wellbeing and pro- tection of current pupils. The fact these are historic allegations PHOTO: Alexander Curzon pictured in the summer of 1975 (bottom row, third from left). ALLEGATIONS: Alexander Curzon outside Rydal Penrhos in Colwyn Bay. ABUSED: Jonathan Andrews, 50, is now a medical professional who lives in Harrogate and attended Rydal between 1975-80. Jonathan claims he was abused daily. Rydal history It was hell. My school days were a living nightmare for 10 years of my life. Sexual abuse and mental degradation meted out by vindictive staff. It was abhorrent. It was the worst type of sexual abuse.
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