Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council has refused to admit liability for the sexual abuse of pupils at Formby High School during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s at the hands of former teacher Ian Farquharson.
Andrew Grove & Co Solicitors is suing the authority on behalf of 66 former pupils who say they were abused at the council-owned school between 1975 and 1992.
In a hearing at Liverpool County Court on Monday 30th September a barrister acting for the local authority stated that the council refuses to admit liability.
Katherine Yates from Andrew Grove & Co Solicitors explained: “The council via their lawyers say that as there was no conviction in the criminal court (because of Farquharson’s suicide) they will not be admitting liability for the alleged abuse.
“The absurdity of this argument is that once a person is dead criminal proceedings cannot be pursued. By killing himself Farquharson gave himself the best defence in the world.
“Sadly in 1980 Farquharson was wrongly acquitted for similar sexual offences and his paedophilic activities resumed shortly thereafter until his death in May 1992. The wrongful acquittal meant that many more children suffered at his hands.”
Mr Farquarson worked at the school from 1979 until May 1992 when he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is believed that just hours after a complaint was made about him to the then-headmaster, he left the school premises and drove to Mold, North Wales, where he killed himself by attaching a hose to his car exhaust.
One of the current claimants Mark (pseudonym), who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “The attitude of Sefton Borough Council has left me in despair. I really believed that they would have some compassion for everything that we all suffered at that time and that many of us are still suffering.
“The reality is that they do not care at all. Whether it was at the time of the original trial in 1980, the other times when the abuse was brought to their attention or at the time Mr Farquharson killed himself, no-one at the school or local authority cared about his victims, and they still don’t care.”
Before working at Formby High School, Farquharson worked at Colomendy, an outdoor education centre near Mold, north Wales.
Andrew Grove and Co Solicitors is now also representing a client who is alleged to have also been abused by Farquharson while he was at Colomendy.
The abuse took place when the victim was just eight years old, but it’s believed Farquharson could have abused many more children at Colomendy while he worked there from the mid-1960s until 1979.
“Many people will have fond memories of their time at Colomendy, but for some children, the memories will be akin to nightmares,” said Katherine Yates.
“We have evidence that Farquharson lived at the school because we have a copy of his marriage certificate which states he was a teacher there and gives Colomendy Activity Centre as his residential address (then Colomendy School).
“There is a lot more we need to find out, including more details of his activities at that time. We do not know how many children were abused by him, but we do know that it is unlikely it was just the one individual, who has now come forward, and his friend.
“Our client has carried the burden of what happened to him for many years, and we believe there will be many more people carrying the same weight on their shoulders.”
The camp at Colomendy was originally built as a wartime evacuation facility before being transferred to Liverpool City Council in 1957 and turned into a boarding school and outdoor residential centre.
In the mid-2000s the council leased the site to Kingswood to develop it as an outdoor pursuits centre. Kingswood has no connection to any of Farquharson’s activities.
Katherine said: “Although Ian Farquharson died many years ago, the memories of the horrendous abuse he inflicted are still very much alive and his victims deserve compensation for the sickening crimes they endured.
“If you went to Formby High School or Colomendy and have any information that might help with our investigations, or you suffered abuse yourself, I would urge you to get in touch. We are listening and we can help.”
To speak to Katherine Yates in confidence please call 01223 367133 or email katherine@andrewgroveandco.com
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