Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Wow! I suspect this will not be the last of them.

And I am willing to bet a large sum of money that when we get the details of this case it will be found that the teacher was reported to CH authorities who then did nothing about it. This seems to have happened with every single one of the 7 (?) teachers changed so far. The Burr and Webb PDFs that you posted confirm it for them, various newspaper reports mention it in the Dobbie, Karim and Husband cases. What am I missing?

That is deeply saddening. While I am not totally surprised, RM was one of the best teachers.

Deeply saddening indeed.

A small detail, but the report says that the offence was committed between Sept and Dec when the innocent victim was 10 years old. As well as being appallingly young (but any age, of course, is appalling), that suggests that he would only have been 16 at the start of his Grecians year. This seems one year out. But perhaps I am wrong and there were children who started the second form aged 10. This does not detract from the absolutely appalling implication of the charge.

We need to be careful please.

This is a different kettle of fish and it is going through the system.

I started when I was 10 but my birthday was a few days after the term began. I did have several friends whose birthdays were in November or December.

I can't say this surprises me. Recently I almost said on this web forum that If Roger Martin were still alive, he'd be shaking in his shoes right now, but actually I had it in my head that he'd passed away. Looks like his number's up, then: him and his all-nude House Baths sessions and showering alongside the boys after sports matches and taking his cine camera into the lav ends, the changing rooms and the swimming baths. All of it common knowledge already, so I don't see there's any harm in mentioning it, especially when two boys took the matter to the headmaster at the time and the entire school knew. It's all going to come out now, isn't it?

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen.

Alleged offences. Let's see what evidence there is. Better to close this until after a trial now, or take any info to the police.

As an aside, if police are investigating back to the 1940s, any potential suspect then would have to be a minimum of 95-100.

You cant go any further back. Could this behaviour go back to the schools inception, in which case, what is there left to save of CH?

richardb wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:09 pm We need to be careful please.

This is a different kettle of fish and it is going through the system.

I am no expert, but I sense that we need to be far more careful/cautious than we are being with regard to information relating to this forthcoming case. Perhaps people might wish to remove their posts.

As I said, I am no expert, but caution seems like the prudent approach, however strong our emotions are following this news...

Like I say, the entire school knew. Boys from both Barnes A and Barnes B attended the all-nude House Bath sessions, which had a specific name I believe, coined by Roger Martin and hinting at the raciness of the sessions. It's all factual and it's already in the public arena. No allegations are necessary: it's just part of the school's history and Bob Sillett will have no choice but to admit that he knew full well what was going on. After all, if all-nude swimming sessions are announced on a house noticeboard, their existence is hardly an allegation.

As Chrissie Boy says, all of that was common knowledge and I could name another Prep teacher/participant/big pal of RM who I think is dead. While all of that was weird, and I remember thinking so at the time, it is really saddening to see the allegation of actual assault. And, for what it is worth, RM is another OB.

Edit: I thought CB was talking about the Prep 1963 - 65 when RM first taught at CH before he went to Strahe (spelling?) in Kenya.

No comments please which do not contain facts please.

And no expressions of opinion about innocence or guilt.

Julian and JR may take a different view but nothing on this forum is likely to prejudice any trial as no one reading the forum should be serving on a jury trying the charge.

bakunin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:11 pm I started when I was 10 but my birthday was a few days after the term began. I did have several friends whose birthdays were in November or December.

Thanks Bakunin!

The most surprising aspect of the new batsmen at the crease is that he’s only 82! I could have sworn he was near that when he taught me in 1988

OB. He left CH in 1955.