Manchester Evening News

School apology to ex-teacher’s abuse victims

MOVE COMES AFTER REPORT FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF COVER-UP

- By PAUL BRITTON paul.britton@men-news.co.uk. @PaulBritto­nMEN

A SCHOOL has issued a ‘full and unreserved’ apology to abuse victims of a disgraced former teacher and church deacon.

It follows the publicatio­n of an independen­t report into Alan Morris, which found ‘absolutely no evidence of a cover-up’ over his offending.

Morris, a former deputy head and head of chemistry at St Ambrose College in Hale Barns, Altrincham, was convicted in August 2014 – at the age of 64 – of abusing boys between 1972 and 1990. He was jailed for nine years.

Morris, of Rivington Road, Hale, was found guilty of 19 charges relating to 10 boys – 16 indecent assaults and three counts of inciting gross indecency with a child. A further 28 offences involving 18 boys were ordered to lie on file.

The court heard he kept a ‘bag of implements’ including a cane and leather strap, and made a weapon dubbed the ‘paddywhack­er,’ shaped like a table tennis bat.

Police said after his sentencing that he proclaimed himself the school’s ‘chief policeman’ but in reality, he chastised pupils for his own sexual gratificat­ion.

The allegation­s for which he was charged first emerged in 2012.

The Congregati­on of Christian Brothers, a religious teaching order which ran the all-boys grammar school, instigated an independen­t investigat­ion to look into allegation­s of ‘complicity’ in respect of individual­s from the congregati­on and college surroundin­g Morris’ crimes.

The final report, now published, says the review ‘found absolutely no evidence of a cover-up either during the time that Alan Morris taught at the school or during his ministry as a deacon until 2012.’

The report did reveal that concerns about Morris and corporal punishment were first raised in 1989, with other allegation­s also followed up in 2001, 2002 and 2006. Governors, it ruled, ‘acted appropriat­ely’ after a complaint in 1989 and took action against him.

The report concluded that the Christian Brothers, the school’s governors, and its diocese, Shrewsbury, ‘acted appropriat­ely to informatio­n known at any given time.’ No ‘concrete evidence’ was found that leaders in the church and college ‘were aware of the extent of the abuse by Alan Morris... or its sexual nature.’

The school is now run by the St Ambrose College Edmund Rice Academy Trust.

In a statement, leaders said: “The college wishes to apologise fully and unreserved­ly to all of the victims of Mr Morris for the pain, stress and hurt that they have had to endure. As a community St Ambrose College was deeply saddened by the impact Alan Morris and his actions had on members of the College and our thoughts and prayers are and always will be with the innocent victims and their families.

“St Ambrose College and its staff are aware that the safeguardi­ng of children is fundamenta­l to its core daily activities.

“We recognise our responsibi­lity to ensure all members of staff, volunteers and governors are suitable to work with our students and the college operates rigorous procedures to support this process.

“The college is keen to implement any recommenda­tions from the report, which are not already addressed swiftly and effectivel­y.”

The diocese said Morris was immediatel­y withdrawn from active ministry as a deacon in 2012.

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Alan Morris

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