Children as young as seven at Ampleforth and 11 at Downside were subjected to appalling sexual abuse, the latest report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said.
The inquiry found that the two leading British Benedictine schools “prioritised the monks and their own reputations over the protection of children” amid a “culture of acceptance of abusive behaviour”.
“For decades Ampleforth and Downside tried to avoid giving any information about child sexual abuse to police and social services,” inquiry chair Professor Alexis Jay said.
