APPENDIX 3: FAMILY GROUP HOME RUN BY WN 279 AND WN 281 – SUMMARY OF ALL WITNESS EVIDENCE
WN 45 allegations
See the witness statement of 31 March 2008 at WS000168 and the Inquiry witness statement of 27 January 2015 at WS000487. All
references to paragraph numbers in the allegations column below refer to the 2008 statement, unless stated otherwise.
Allegation and doc ref
Other evidence
1. Para 13
General culture of extreme discipline and beatings corroborated by
At this FGH “we were constantly beaten with sticks, belts, WN 318, albeit that the detail is different:
brushes, broom handles whatever was to hand. For example if Para 5, WS000170
you were in the kitchen and spilled some milk, she, WN 279 “We not treated very well by the WN 279 and WN 281. We were
would get the broom out of the cupboard and whack you smacked all the time and hit with a yellow bat. If something went
across the back of your legs or across the back of your head. missing in the house all the foster kids were made to line up and we
She didn’t care how hard she hit you. She was very clever not would all be smacked until someone owned up. This happened a lot.
to cause serious injury”
It would happen in the playroom or the dining room.”
Para 6
Inquiry statement para.20
“The beatings happened so often that it was just accepted by us as
The abuse was “perpetual and brutal, often for no reason or everyday behaviour and how we had to live.”
explanation”.
Statement of WN 321 of 1/7/08, WS000174
App 3
1
-
The FGH was a very happy place. Every child there was treated
exactly the same and like any normal child: paras 4 and 8
-
Most bad behaviour was handled by a telling off, but the
children were smacked on the odd, rare, occasion: para 4
-
The children were never hit in temper and never with an
implement: para 4
-
The events described by WN 45 categorically did not happen:
para 5
2. Para 14
“I had strap marks across my back following a beating.”
[Describes being given a ball by a park keeper, which made
her late home from school]. “WN 279 was a very sly woman
who would creep about and watch you. As we left the park she
was by the park gates hiding behind a pillar. I had to tell her I
was late because the park keeper had given us the ball. She
dragged me home and ordered all the children to their rooms
and took me into the kitchen. She didn’t pull my pants down,
she ripped them off, got the strap and beat the hell out of me.
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2
She didn’t stop she just kept going and going. She beat me on
the backside and in trying to avoid her the blows just landed
wherever.”
3. Para 15
-
“On one Sunday I remember we came back from church and
WN 279 was in a foul mood and she ordered WN 281 to strap
Lack of explicit corroboration by either WN 318 or WN
319.
-
us all. My job on Sunday was to prepare the vegetables for
Would be covered by the blanket denials of WN 320 and
WN 321
lunch and so I thought this would get me out of it. But WN 279
dragged me by my hair to the back stairs and told me to get to WN 318:
my room. WN 281 came upstairs. We were all lined up against Para 9, WS000170
our individual beds. He forced us to bend over and I’m not “WN 279 would make us line up and WN 281 would be the one that
sure if our pants were on or off. He took his belt and strapped hit us. It happened a lot so we knew what to do, we would just line
the hell out of us. The strap went on my buttocks and back. up. We would be hit across the bum with a yellow plastic cricket bat
This was the only time he had ever done this and he was about two feet in length. This would continue until someone owned
saying sorry whilst he beat me.”
up or WN 281 gave up hitting us. When I say all the foster kids I
mean WN 320, WN 321, WN 45 and WN 214 as well as WN 319 and
Para 16: recounts being made to strip the following day in myself. WN 279 and WN 281’s own children were never punished in
front of her classmates for PE, the teacher noticing her strap this way, if at all as I remember.”
marks and taking her to see the headmistress, Miss Harris
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3
(deceased at the time of Operation Rectangle). WN 45 says WN 319, Para 29: “All these punishments I have described
she begged with Miss Harris not to tell anyone.
happened to all of the foster kids to some degree. They wouldn’t
punish you in private but in front of the other kids.”
4. Para 17
Not corroborated.
An allegation of WN 45 being hit around the head by WN 279
with a green hairbrush.
5. Para 19
All allegations denied by WN 320.
“My brother WN 320 was always being hit around the head
and I remember his glasses flying off onto the floor and being
broken. [….] WN 320 was able to look after himself better
than the rest of us and soon managed to leave and went to live
in a boys’ hostel. Apart from this I cannot remember any
specific incident against him but we were all battered and
dragged around a lot. If one of us was beaten then we were all
beaten. It was never an isolated incident against one child.”
6. Para 20
WN 214 refused, at the time of Operation Rectangle, to talk about
“… WN 214 one day was crying at one mealtime because she her time in care [Statement of 26/4/08, WS000169].
was given vegetables which had greenfly and slugs crawling
all over it. She refused to eat it. All of us were heaving into our
App 3
4
food. WN 279 got the hairbrush again from the dresser which
was in the dining room and beat WN 214 severely with it. It
was permanently there and close at hand.”
7. Para 21
Being forced to consume sour milk.
8. Para 22 – allegation re WN 321 and WN 319. Allegation Would be denied by WN 321 and not mentioned by WN 319
that WN 321 awoke early on Christmas morning and WN 279
came in very angry, smashed up his toys and beat him and
another child severely.
9. From para 26
Long account of alleged sexual abuse by a man who
subsequently died.
10. From para 31
Account of being sexually abused by a second man, Roger
Horobin, who was subsequently prosecuted.
11. Para 33
WN 214 not prepared to give evidence.
Allegation that she and WN 214 were beaten by WN 279
having gone out to buy sweets. The allegation is that WN 279
followed them to the shop. She goes on to say: “When we
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5
came out she pounced on us and dragged us home by the hair.
I was petrified. Once inside she beat us with whatever she
could get her hands on. I tried to protect WN 214 and WN 279
picked up the broom and hit me with it hard sending me flying
across the room. This was in the kitchen. Whenever we had to
go to the Doctors for anything we were warned never to say
anything to anybody if they saw bruises and asked about
them.”
12. Para 34
Not mentioned by WN 319.
Allegation that WN 319 was beaten by WN 279 having got
lost in the sand dunes and being taken to the police station.
13. Para 35
Not mentioned by WN 319.
WN 45 receiving a beating from WN 279 when WN 319 was
injured at the beach and taken to hospital.
14. Para 36
Not corroborated.
Allegation about the children having their mouths washed out
with soap, apparently by WN 279.
15. Para 41
Confirmed by WN 281 in police interview: WS000551
Allegations about a “game” played by the foster children
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6
(only) with a religious figure who would visit, which involved
them lying across his knee and retrieving chocolate from
inside his boots. She describes them as black leather calflength boots.
16. Para 21 Inquiry statement
Allegation that WN 279 would roughly wash her hair in the
stone sink, would comb their hair in such a way that her head
bled and would smash her head against the sink if she ever
complained.
17. Para 23 Inquiry statement
Allegation that WN 279 forced her hands towards a hot iron
roller until she started screaming from the pain.
18. Para 24 Inquiry statement
Being made to spend six weeks solely in the small box room
because she had tried to stop WN 279 from beating the
younger children.
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7
WN 318 allegations
See her witness statement of 23 April 2008 at WS000170. All references to paragraph numbers in the allegations column below refer to the
said statement.
Allegation and doc ref
Other evidence
1. Para 5
See allegation 1 for WN 45, above.
“We not treated very well by the WN 279 and WN 281. We were
smacked all the time and hit with a yellow bat. If something went See paras 11 and 12 of WN 319’s statement (allegation 1 below)
missing in the house all the foster kids were made to line up and – confirms foster children being lined up for beating by WN 281,
we would all be smacked until someone owned up. This happened with him using a yellow plastic bat to mete out beatings.
a lot. It would happen in the playroom or the dining room.”
See general denials of WN 320 and WN 321 and WN 279 and
WN 281’s natural children (below)
Existence of the plastic bat confirmed by WN 320, but denies
that it was used to hit children: Statement of WN 320 of
01/07/08, WS000172, para 10
2. Para 8
“I remember one episode where a packet of biscuits went
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8
missing. All the foster kids would be made to line up and we
would be whacked until someone owned up. Sometimes we would
take it in turns to own up so that the beatings stopped.”
See allegation 3 for WN 45, above.
3. Para 9
“WN 279 would make us line up and WN 281 would be the one See allegation 1 for WN 319, below.
that hit us. It happened a lot so we knew what to do, we would
just line up. We would be hit across the bum with a yellow plastic
cricket bat about two feet in length. This would continue until
someone owned up or WN 281 gave up hitting us. When I say all
the foster kids I mean WN 320, WN 321, WN 45 and WN 214 as
well as WN 319 and myself. WN 279 and WN 281’s own children
were never punished in this way, if at all as I remember.”
See WN 319’s allegation 6 below.
4. Para 10
Allegation of the children being hit across the knuckles with a
knife by WN 281 if the children spoke or were naughty at dinner.
WN 319 describes WN 281 “knuckling” the children to the top
5. Para 13
Allegation that another form of punishment was slaps to the back of the head – see his allegation 5 below.
of the head with an open hand. It is not clear whether this refers
to WN 279 or WN 281.
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6. Para 23
See WN 319’s allegation 7 below.
Allegation of being shut in the shoe cupboard as a punishment
Other points of interest
WN 319: he only ever saw one of WN 279 and WN 281’s
A) WN 279 and WN 281’s children were treated like angels: children punished once, when one of them picked up their puppy
para 14
by the ears and was punished by WN 281, who picked her up by
B) “I cannot remember much because some things were so the ears.
painful I think I’ve put them away in my mind because I Statement of WN 320 of 01/07/08, WS000172
don’t want to remember them.”: para 15
There was no difference between the treatment given to WN 279
C) “Whilst physical punishments were used by the WN 279 and WN 281’s children and the foster children. Everyone got the
and WN 281 I never received any injuries that required same treatment as far as misbehaviour was concerned: para 9
medical attention or were serious.”: para 18
Statement of WN 321 of 1/7/08, WS000174
D) Confirmation of the “game” with the religious figure – The FGH was a very happy place. Every child there was treated
just involving the foster children: para 21.
exactly the same and like any normal child: paras 4 and 8
App 3
10
WN 319 allegations
See his witness statement of 28 April 2008, WS000171. All references to paragraph numbers in the allegations column below refer to the
said statement.
Allegation and doc ref
Other evidence
1. Para 11
No direct corroboration
Description of the foster children being beaten as punishment by
WN 281 for someone moving some paper that had been placed in See WN 318 allegations 1 and 3 above. Confirmation that the
the kitchen to soak up dog urine. “Someone had moved the paper foster children would be lined up and beaten with a yellow
and he went mad and got all the foster kids in the dining room. plastic bat. She does not describe this particular incident.
He lined us all up and was shouting at us trying to find out who
did it. No one owned up so he started beating each one of us with Existence of the plastic bat confirmed by WN 321, but denies
this children’s cricket bat he had.”
that it was used to hit children: Statement of WN 320 of
Para 12:
01/07/08, WS000172, para 10
“The bat was about two foot long with a foot long handle and WN 322: What’s been said about a cricket bat is rubbish.
was yellow plastic. Individually he grabbed us and hit us four or
five times on the backside.” He then refers to confessing to
moving the paper to avoid his sister being beaten again.
2. Para 15
WN 45 and WN 318 also confirm that the children were bathed
“Another incident I remember was when getting a bath upstairs. in dirty bath water, after the WN 279 and WN 281’s natural
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This happened near to the end of my time and I think led to the children.
WN 279 and WN 281 being suspended. When getting a bath
upstairs we had to use the dirty water that had been left after WN See the entries in the Children’s Services records of 20/2/75 and
279 and WN 281’s kids had a bath. Once there was me, WN 318 24/2/75 (discussed fully in the section on the reporting of abuse
and I think WN 321 and WN 279 was making all three of us get in and the response to allegations of abuse)
the dirty bath water. I remember I said something like ‘it’s wrong
we shouldn’t have to get in there and wouldn’t get in. WN 279
pushed me in the back and I slipped on the wet floor and
whacked my face onto the side of the bathtub. I had a swelling to
my, I think, left eye which resulted in a swollen black eye. WN
279 went mad, started shouting and sent me to bed.”
Para 16:
“A couple of days later I remember a children’s officer called Mr
Smith talking to me at the home and two people who I think were
from the Foster Parents Association, came to interview me. I told
them about the bath incident and not long after the WN 279 and
WN 281 left the home.”
See also para 31.
3. Para 17
Not mentioned by the other witnesses.
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12
A description of being slapped on the face by WN 279, having
been accused of stealing another child’s toys. He says:
“…I was accused by WN 279 of stealing them. She took me into
the playroom and started shouting at me, accusing me of stealing.
She made me kneel down and then she also knelt down in front of
me and started slapping me round the face. She would slap me
with an open hand to the side of my face and the force of the blow
would make me fall to the side. Once I had fallen she would pick
me up and them slap me with her other hand to the other side of
my face causing me to fall to the other side. This assault carried
on for what seemed like about forty minutes and she must have
hit me at least sixteen or seventeen times. […]”
Not mentioned by other witnesses, despite the assertion in para
4. Para 19
Allegation of being slapped (in the same way as in allegation 3 20 that WN 318 and one of WN 320 or WN 321 was present.
above) for not tying his shoelaces in a manner acceptable to WN
279
WN 318 describes slaps to the back of the head with an open
5. Para 21
Routine daily assaults by WN 281, involving “knuckling” hand – see allegation 5 above.
(clenching his fist and hitting the child with his knuckles on the
App 3
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top of their head) and flicking a child’s ear
See WN 318’s see allegation 4 above.
6. Para 23
Regular assaults by WN 281and WN 279 by hitting children on
the knuckles with a knife or spoon.
See WN 318’s allegation 6 above.
7. Para 26
Being locked in the shoe cupboard by both WN 281and WN 279
Not mentioned by other witnesses
8. Para 28
Being hit on the backs of the legs with a wooden coat hanger in
succession. Recounts a particular incident of this on a school
night in summer.
Other points of interest:
A) Para 29: “All these punishments I have described
happened to all of the foster kids to some degree. They
wouldn’t punish you in private but in front of the other
kids.”
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14
WN 214 allegations
See her application to the Historic Redress Scheme in July 2012 [WD000670].
Allegation
Other evidence
1. WN 279 hit her on the head above her left ear with a marble WD004202 – states that WN 214 had an operation on her ear in 1977
hairbrush on a daily basis, resulting in bruising, pain and lifelong WD004200 – notes that WN 214’s ear was troubling her and that she
hearing difficulties
would need another operation
2. WN 279 beat her with a belt any time she made noise, making
her scared to go to the bathroom and often wet the bed.
3. She was often fed expired food and milk and was beaten if she
refused to eat it.
4. WN 279 would lock her in a cupboard under the stairs for
hours at a time, meaning that she had to stay in a crouched
position for hours.
5. WN 279 pushed and hit her, leading to her falling on the
bathroom floor and smashing her two front teeth. She was not
brought to the dentist and was in a lot of pain for some time.
6. She was forced to carry out domestic tasks, including
scrubbing the floor with boiling water and bleach. She says that
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this resulted in blistered skin and burning eyes from the bleach.
7. On one occasion when she did not want to swim in the sea due
to broken glass, she was hit by WN 279 and therefore ran in,
where she stood on a broken bottle. She was not given medical
attention until sometime later when she was brought to A&E and
given stitches.
8. She and her siblings were hit with a yellow plastic cricket bat,
leaving bruises. WN 279 would shout at WN 281 to discipline
them and would watch while he did so. She also witnessed her
brother being repeatedly hit with a sweeping brush.
9. WN 279 grabbed her and held her in the air by her pyjamas,
causing her to be cut in the genital area.
Other points of interest
-
Page 15 - “This is my story which over the years I have
had to deal with on my own…At last for once in my life I
do not have my own mind telling me that what I have
suffered from was abnormal but now I have society
telling me that what I have suffered from is not normal or
acceptable. In all truths to be known even though I am a
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victim I feel totally ashamed, something that will never
leave me. Ashamed that I was abandoned and ashamed
that I could not fit into society. Just wanting to be loved
or accepted was all I wanted and in the care of [WN 281
and WN 279] not only did I not receive this treatment but
was delivered abuse.”
-
She had a very unhappy time at school and nobody
questioned why she was often found with bruises and
crying.
-
The foster children and WN 279 and WN 281’s own
children were divided and treated differently – e.g. the
foster children had to use the outside toilet, the back
stairs, had the bare minimum play room and never
received any new clothes, whereas the other children used
the house toilet, the front stairs, had a luxurious lounge
and always had nice clothes.
-
When WN 287 took over with her husband - “This couple
App 3
17
were complete opposites to what we were used to,
showering us with love, love, love.”
She could not
process this and it caused her to become very scared and
suffer an emotional breakdown.
Other evidence
Allegation and doc ref
Other evidence
WN 278: relative of several of the children at the FGH, living
with a relative off-Island from about the age of 4
[WS000239]
1. She would sometimes visit her relatives at the FGH (para 5). Note that WN 320 confirms in his police statement that WN 278
She had no problems with the WN 279 and WN 281. She actually lived off-Island [Statement of 1/7/08, WS000172].
thought they were quite strict, but they were bringing up a large
number of children. She was never the subject of any discipline
from them (para 6).
2. No one ever complained to her about their treatment by the
WN 279 and WN 281, apart from WN 321 (para 7). When she
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was about 11 or 12, WN 321 complained of being given a good
hiding by WN 281 (para 8). He showed WN 278 his bottom,
which was bruised. WN 321 was crying and upset (para 9). That
is the only incident that sticks in her mind.
WN 214’s statement of 26/4/08, WS000169
See above her allegations made as part of her application to the
WN 214 confirms that she was in care and lived with WN 279 Historic Redress Scheme.
and WN 281 at the FGH. She says at para 4: “I do not wish to
talk about my time in care to the police or anyone. I have moved
on in my life and do not wish to comment.”
Statement of WN 320 of 29/4/08 WS000459
-
No allegations or complaints to make about the WN 279 and
WN 281 [pdf102, para 4]
-
Para 5: “I wasn’t the perfect child and would be naughty and
out of order at time for which I would be punished. However
the punishment would not be more than a smack on the
backside and nothing more than I deserved.”
-
Para 6: “I have fond memories of my time with the WN 279
and WN 281 and I am still in regular contact with them.”
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Statement of WN 320 of 01/07/08, WS000172
- A fuller statement
- If the children misbehaved, they would be dealt with in
different ways, including being told off or being smacked: para 7
- “When we got smacked it was often done by WN
279…but…occasionally also by WN 281. During the nine years
or so that I spent at…[the FGH] I always felt secure and never
witnessed any mistreatment of any of the children”: para 8
- There was no difference between the treatment given to WN
279 and WN 281’s children and the foster children. Everyone
got the same treatment as far as misbehaviour was concerned:
para 9
- He does not remember any implement ever being used to
chastise the children: para 9
- “When the police initially took a statement from me they
mentioned an allegation that a cricket bat may have been used.
Upon thinking about that, the only implement that I can think
would fit that description in the house was a plastic yellow
cricket bat which was normally in the play room. Whereas I
don’t remember particular instances of it being used to
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discipline us, had it been, the bat in question could not have hurt
anyone seriously, as it was made of plastic and was hollow”:
para 10
- Expresses disbelief at the allegations made by WN 45. Having
considered them carefully, he does not believe that they
happened: para 11
Statement of WN 323 of 1/7/08, WD008826
-
First contacted on the day her parents were arrested and in
police custody: para 1.
-
Has very little memory of her childhood and the period in
question, because she was very young (0-4 years): paras 1-5.
-
She was in regular and recent contact with her brothers, WN
320 and WN 321, but could not say when she last saw WN
45: paras 9 and 10
-
She thinks the allegations are ludicrous (para 22) and may
been motivated by compensation (para 31)
-
WN 281 was a mild-mannered man and would try and talk
to the children first, before smacking them: para 23
-
Both parents would smack the children, but she can’t
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21
remember any particular incidents: para 24
-
She cannot say if her other sisters were smacked, but she
does not recall any incidents: para 26
-
She does not know anything about a cricket bat being used
to assault anyone. She said that they were always together so
these things can’t have happened: para 26
-
WN 279 does not like shouting and gets stressed quite
easily: para 27
Statement of WN 321 of 1/7/08, WS000174
See WN 278, point 2 above. WN 278 confirms that WN 321 was
-
Company owner
badly beaten and had bruising and was upset.
-
Fostered by the WN 279 and WN 281 with his siblings
-
The FGH was a very happy place. Every child there was
treated exactly the same and like any normal child: paras 4 In the WN 281 interview, the officer says that WN 321 had told
and 8
-
Most bad behaviour was handled by a telling off, but the handy with a cricket bat, beating the children. This is confirmed
children were smacked on the odd, rare, occasion: para 4
-
officers that he had called WN 281 Ian Botham, because he was
in the police report at WD000812/8. WN 281says that WN 321
The children were never hit in temper and never with an must have been joking: WS000554
implement: para 4
-
The events described by WN 45 categorically did not
App 3
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happen: para 5
-
The WN 279 and WN 281 were too kind to treat children in
the way that is being alleged: para 7
-
I was assured by the police officer who interviewed me that
the matter would not go any further: para 10
Statement of WN 322 of 1/7/08, WD008825
It was a very happy home, just normal: para 5
-
There was no difference between the various children, apart
from which schools they went to: para 10
-
WN 320 and WN 321 remain very close to WN 279 and
WN 281: para 16
-
WN 281 would always talk to the children if they had been
naughty and would only smack with his hand. No
implements were ever used: para 23 and 29
-
What’s been said about a cricket bat is rubbish.
-
The children were never separated. “One child was never
taken away and disciplined never, never.”
-
WN 279 and WN 281 are innocent: para 41. WN 279 will
die if they are mentioned in public: para 42 WN 279 is
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23
wasting away and can’t cope, WN 281 is horrified: para 38
-
She provided a number of photos showing happy family
scenes, including WN 45 in adulthood and childhood: paras
49-52.
App 3
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