Well events are coming along nicely in the case of alleged abuse of pupils by Monsignor Duggan, Rector of St Bede’s College from 1950 -1966, 16 years when unbridled sexual abuse of young boys was an everyday occurrence in the life of the College. Carefully picked and even more carefully groomed young boys were dreadfully handled by Duggan and some of his fellow members of the clerical staff.
On 28th April 2014 Panone, the Manchester solicitors are bringing a case in the Manchester courts against the Salford Diocese, amongst others I understand, for the alleged sexual abuse of two boys in the 1955 intake at the College. These two boys were alerted to the ongoing cause I was waging against the Diocese and the school since 2010 but only came forward after the painfully poor apology by Brain, the Bishop of Salford, published in the Manchester Evening News on 15th March 2011.
Instead of contacting me, they decided to make their own way and contacted Panone in about 2012. A mistake on their part I consider because my contact with Panone has left naught but bad taste in my mouth. However these two boys, old men now at 70 years of age, need all the support we can give them, so I ask all that can to be there for them on 28th April. I do not yet know times or even which court it is to be tried in but will let you know courtesy of this blog nearer the event.
Of course this case is only really a sideshow to the big event. The cause I started in early 2010 and which gathered pace after the foolish bishop made the limp apology in 2011 which saw me disentangle myself from the cloying and lying arms of the obfuscating and devisive Child Safeguarding Commission of the Salford Diocese led by that mountebank cleric, Barry O’Sullivan and that silver tongued lizard of a lawyer, Michael Devlin. Their sole purpose was to cover up and deter complaints of clerical sexual abuse against vulnerable children, the exact opposite of their polished policy.
Anderson Olivarius, like knights in shining armour, came galloping over the hill and their senior partner, Ann Olivarius, took on the burden of my cause. Ann, who only recently called me the biggest pain in the arse she has ever met, set out with her team, who have worked their socks off for 2 years and ten months, intending to turn our case into a groundbreaking event in the area of British law with which we are dealing. This case if we are lucky might come off this year but look out for it and certainly I will announce it when the time comes. It is due in the High Courts of Justice in London
As regards the side show, which nevertheless is still very important, they have 16 witnessses to help prove the abuse took place, we have over 40 supporting the fellows who were victims of this horrible abuse. It promises to be a shocking indictment of the Diocese and possibly a killer blow to the school, which has been on a downward path since William Green, another cleric, received 8 years in prison in 2008 for his awful abuse of young boys at the school whilst there as a teacher of religion in the 1980s. I would expect the MEN to make a limp performance at both trials but do not rely on them for truth and honesty. That will only come from this pen and others who are absolutely disgusted with the way the Catholic Church have acted in this instance.
Before I go let me remind you of a certain event in 2010. Sometime in September of that year an excited Barry O’Sullivan rang me one Saturday morning. Paul he said, the bishop, monsignor Quinlan, Michael Barber (the head of Bede’s at the time) and I had a meeting yesterday and out of it came evidence of a very damning nature against Duggan, evidence that is so damning that I cannot talk on the phone or even write about it in an e-mail, I suggest you get over here as soon as possible and sit with us round the table. Amazed by this turn of events I made travel enquiries and set a date for 5th November 2010. In the interim O’Sullivan engineered a breakdown in our relationship, subsequentially browbeating me over the phone in language that the clergy are not supposed to know. He called me an unreliable and unworthy advocate for the men I represented (there was no lawyers at this stage). I was heartbroken but I kept the meeting alive and sent my proxies along who were accepted as long as the diocese had my solemn assurance that I had resigned from the cause. I suppose we can all tell a fib if needs must. The three proxies went to the meeting on 5th November whilst I waited outside. The proxies asked the question of the new and damning evidence, only O’Sullivan had turned up for the diocese and he said with a perfect Catholic poker face, “I have no recollection of saying that to Mr Malpas”.
They obviously have known all about Duggan from at least that day in September 2010 if not before, yet they have chosen to hide it and make us fight every inch of the way. They are the biggest bunch of religious evil tosspots that I have ever met. Michael Barber, left Bede’s shortly afterwards, I can only think he had a different policy on how to deal with this problem.