VIOLINIST SEX BEAST CHEATS JUSTICE

Teacher facing trial for 77 crimes against victims as young as 9 kills himself on eve of extradition to UK

VICTIMS of a paedophile teacher last night accused him of a final abuse of power after he took his own life.

Chris Ling shot himself at his Los Angeles home when US marshals arrived to arrest him for extradition to Britain.

The horrifying scale of Ling’s crimes at Chetham’s School of music in the 1980s is only now starting to emerge. Prosecutors say he was facing 77 charges against 11 victims – one aged just nine.

Girls were allegedly groped, violated, forced to perform sex acts and spanked so hard they cried. One victim said she was furious Ling had cheated justice. ‘This is his final abuse of power,’ she told the Guardian. ‘To me it’s like he was saying, “i’m not even going to allow the process to go forward”.’

A second victim said: ‘i did want him to face a jury and justice, and yes, this outcome proves he was aware of his crimes, but it doesn’t feel enough.’

Another former pupil at the manchester school told the daily mail: ‘He’s cheated his victims of ever seeing justice. But he’s paid the ultimate price for what he did.’

The marshals who went to Ling’s £1.5million home had a provisional warrant for his arrest. They confirmed extradition proceedings would have followed.

His case was part of Operation Kiso, a wide-ranging inquiry also investigating alleged abuse at the Royal Northern College of music in manchester. in a bitter twist, the investigation into Ling had been sparked by the outcry over the suicide of Frances Andrade, a former Chetham’s pupil who had testified against a Chetham’s teacher. As the fallout over Ling’s death grew:

Campaigners demanded an independent inquiry into claims that sex abuse was rife at Chetham’s;

Lawyers for victims were preparing a civil claim against it;

Chetham’s came under fire for issuing only a terse 17-word statement;

Police faced questions as to why a 1990 probe into Ling was shelved.

Ling had a reputation as a flamboyant but brilliant violin teacher when he arrived at Chetham’s in the early 1980s with his flashy cars, cowboy boots and slicked-back hair.

But there were soon rumours that he was ordering young female pupils to strip naked while they played for him, telling them it gave them ‘the freedom to express themselves’ and inviting others to alcohol-fuelled parties at his flat.

Among his pupils was 16-year-old Pip Clarke, who went on to marry him in 1989. They suddenly moved to the US in 1990 along with six of his star pupils ahead of a police investigation into sex assault claims.

Ling built a successful career in California as an agent for leading conductors and performers.

But in 2013, following the death of mrs Andrade, he became the main focus of sickening allegations of widespread sexual abuse at Chetham’s and the Royal Northern College of music.

The mother of four killed herself after a harrowing cross-examination during the trial of the Chetham’s former director of music, michael Brewer, and his ex-wife Hilary for abusing her.

Several former pupils came forward to detail a shocking litany of abuse by Ling, with incidents as late as July 1990.

After he refused to return to the UK for questioning, detectives began extradition proceedings.

Jamie daniels, of Greater manchester Police, said Ling’s victims had shown tremendous courage.

He added: ‘There has of course, been an expression of frustration and disappointment at this news by those affected as they will not get their chance to see justice be done, but we will continue to offer them support at what is understandably, a very difficult time.’

Specialist abuse lawyer Liz dux, of Slater and Gordon, said a number of women had made serious allegations against Ling.

‘They had been awaiting the outcome of the criminal proceedings but they will now not see Ling face a jury,’ she added. ‘it is always deeply upsetting when victims are denied the chance of achieving justice in the criminal court. We will now be advising them to begin civil action against the school.’

The Crown Prosecution Service said the extradition request had been passed to the US State department by the Home Office in 2014 after a district judge issued two warrants.

A spokesman added: ‘Had he been extradited, Ling would have faced 77 charges of indecent assault on 11 girls aged between 9 and 15 alleged to have taken place in Reading and Greater manchester between 1983 and 1990.’

Last year former visiting conductor Nicholas Smith, 66, was jailed for eight months after admitting sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Chetham’s pupil in the 1970s.

Then in June another former Chetham’s violin teacher malcolm Layfield, 63, was acquitted of raping a former pupil in the early 80s. But he admitted during his trial to ‘shameful’ behaviour in cheating on his wife with girls aged as young as 17.

Chetham’s has faced accusations that it was not taking the abuse revelations seriously enough, and earlier this year head teacher Claire moreland announced her resignation.

Yesterday the school released its statement in response to Ling’s death, saying: ‘The nature of the historic allegations and this latest development are profoundly disturbing. We cannot comment further.’

‘His final abuse of power’