Six face children's home charges

SIX former members of staff at an East Yorkshire children's home could be prosecuted for sexually abusing dozens of boys in their care.

Police have asked lawyers to consider bringing charges against the former members of staff at the St William's home.

A third police investigation into sexual abuse at the home is due to come to an end this month.

Officers say they have spoken to 94 alleged victims of abuse and questioned 16 former members of staff during Operation Reno, which has lasted almost three years.

Colin Andrews, a former chief superintendent and senior investigating officer for the operation, said: "There is enough evidence, in my opinion, to charge them but that decision is not mine. We have only sent files to the CPS where we think there is enough evidence."

Mr Andrews said the alleged offences include "dozens and dozens" of rapes from the 1960s onwards at the Market Weighton care home, which took in troubled boys from Hull and the East Riding.

Last month, a 63-year-old man was arrested at his home in Macclesfield. His property was searched and police recovered a "large amount" of DVDs, which they are examining as part of the inquiry.

Despite two previous police investigations into abuse at the home, its former principal James Carragher is the only person ever to have been convicted of sexually abusing pupils.

However, Mr Andrews says he is convinced that many boys at the home were raped and sexually abused.

"What we have uncovered is quite clearly there was widespread sexual abuse of children there," he said.

"There is absolutely no doubt at all that, for many children, it was not a nice place to be. They were vulnerable and were abused by the people who were in control of them.

"We have 94 victims and all of those have suffered rape or serious sexual abuse at least once, sometimes multiple times."

The investigation has been hampered by the withdrawal from the investigation of 53 other alleged victims whose cases had been fully investigated and were being considered by the CPS.

They were part of a group of 205 men who are seeking compensation from the Catholic Church and the De La Salle Order of Christian Brothers, who jointly ran the home, which closed in 1992.

Despite their withdrawal, Mr Andrews said he hopes this investigation will finally "exorcise the ghost of St William's" and lead to cases being heard in court.

He said: "We are coming to the end of the investigation, but there are one or two loose ends to tie up.

"I am hoping by the end of this month the final files will go to the CPS and then it is a matter for them.

"It will now be a matter for the CPS and courts, we are more or less done."

It is hoped prosecutors will make a decision within months.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "In addition to the files previously submitted in this case by the police to the CPS, which remain under consideration, the police have recently submitted a further file to the CPS for eight further complainants for consideration."