Teacher abused me, says man among claimants
AMAN has shared claims he was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of his former teacher.
Simon (not his real name) attended Formby High School in the 1980s and found himself reliving buried memories over reports on the lawsuit that has now seen 30 former pupils of Formby High School come forward claiming they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of Ian Farquharson.
Farquharson was the head of the lower school who killed himself in 1992 after a complaint was made by the mother of a child.
Farquharson had been charged with inciting young boys to commit acts of gross indecency in 1980. According to reports in February 1980, Farquharson plied his pupils with lemonade after school hours and encouraged them to commit sex acts while he spied on them through a keyhole.
However, he was cleared of that charge at Crosby Magistrates’ Court, after claiming the boys had “tried to get him into trouble” after he had to “discipline” them in the past. He was allowed to carry on teaching after the case was dismissed, telling reporters he was glad his “ordeal” was over.
Simon has revealed that Farquharson had “his hand down my pants” after he was intercepted on his way to seeing the matron at the school when he was feeling unwell one day. Simon claims this was the first time that Farquharson targeted him.
He said: “I was in the first year down at the lower school, that’s what they used to call it, so I was on my way to the upper school where the matron was. Ian Farquharson knew me by name because I used to see him quite regularly.
“He asked me where I was going and if I was okay. I said: ‘yes sir, I’m just going to the matron’. He asked what was wrong so I explained that my stomach hurt. He then said ‘I’m sure we can fix that’, or words to that effect.
“He took me into his office. He had a weird perversion which I never knew about. He had a perversion and that ended up with him essentially having his hands down my pants.”
Simon is now one of more than 30 complainants taking action against Sefton Council as it is claimed that Farquharson allegedly abused school children from around 1975 up until his death in 1992.
Simon said that the memories only came back when he had the reports shared with him, without the person sharing them knowing the trauma the man in his 40s had been through.
He said: “My thoughts are that there’s many more people like me who are just floating around in their bubble. It happened and they’ve tried to forget it.
“It’s only by virtue that I saw something online that I’m like, we could get some sort of closure from it. He killed himself which is the coward’s way out.
“I’m in my 40s and instantly I was back to being an 11-year-old boy with the insecurities of what you’re like at that age. If you were to say anything it was you against the system. No one would ever believe you.”
Simon now hopes more will now come forward to join the lawsuit. He said: “What I want to happen is that more people read this and more people come forward. I am absolutely certain that it happened to more people.
“They’ve just parked it and they’re getting on with their lives but it’s just wrong for people to have to do that. It’s wrong for anyone to have to do that but especially for those who were in that professional situation.”
Farquharson received a complaint from a mum of a child in 1992. That very same day Farquharson got into his car, drove to an isolated spot near Mold in North Wales, and killed himself using the carbon monoxide from his car exhaust.
According to his inquest in July that year, Farquharson had returned from school to his home in Ashdale Close, Formby, looking agitated according to a neighbour, before driving away.
The court heard he had been summoned to the headteacher’s study and an investigation into his conduct had been launched by education chiefs.
Initially, six survivors came forward in March this year after they saw a video on Facebook by child abuse survivor and well known UK bodybuilder Aarron Lambo. That number has since increased to 30.
Solicitor Katherine Yates says Formby High School and Sefton Council have a lot to answer for.
She said: “I can’t help but think that the tremendous psychological and psychiatric damage suffered by my clients could have been avoided if the school had taken the allegations seriously when they first came to light.
“Mr Farquharson was prosecuted in 1980 and six boys gave evidence against him. We do not know exactly why he was cleared but he told the court that these boys were just trying to get him into trouble.
“It appears he went back to teach at Formby High School as if nothing had happened and he carried on abusing boys for another 12 years until his death in 1992.
“It seems that the school did not carry out its own internal investigation and failed to keep an eye on Mr Farquharson after these criminal proceedings took place.
“After his death, rather than offering counselling and support to the child victims, a memorial plaque was placed in the school grounds which was unveiled with much ceremony and caused considerable further upset to the children concerned.
“School staff referred to Mr Farquharson’s death as being tragic whereas the suffering he caused among the children he abused was the real tragedy in this sad case. Investigations are now taking place to ascertain what else the school and the local authority knew and subsequently failed to act upon.”
Sefton Council declined to comment on the case when approached, with Formby High School confirming they have nothing further to add.
When approached for comment earlier this year, Mr Mackenzie, current headteacher of Formby High School, said: “These allegations of historic sexual abuse are appalling and our thoughts are very much with the victims.
“It is difficult to offer further comment on these events from the late 1980s and early 1990s, simply because no-one who was at the school then is here now, more than 30 years later.
“In today’s Formby High School I can categorically state that safeguarding our students is of paramount importance. We have extremely robust policies and procedures in place designed to keep all of our students safe from harm.”