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BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Former Buxton school pupil speaks about alleged abuse
Leon was a teenager when he was sent to a children's home now at the centre of allegations of physical, sexual and mental 44, he is one of more than 40 survivors suing councils for damages in a civil County Council, which licensed The Small School at Red House in Buxton, near Aylsham, has received several "letters of action", a formality required before court action can be local authorities are facing legal action for placing children at the told the BBC how abuse was normalised, claiming it led him to commit an act of violence that put him in is his story in his own words. At the time, I was a problem child for my local authority and I was under the impression I was going there [to Red House] because it could offer me an education; it could offer me everything I couldn't be offered where I was it didn't turn out like that, for me and many others.I was a child and I was being physically hurt by an adult and they didn't care about us. We would be pinned on the floor. We would be punched. We would be scratched. We would have our legs tied behind our we were on the floor, you'd have a knee in your side, you'd have a teacher's elbow across your neck and then other kids wanted to jump on you just to be involved because they were teachers' the kids that were helping the teachers were being rewarded, even if it was just an extra £5 pocket money or extra free cigarettes... they were all happy to get I got away with it quite lightly because I was quite a big lad. I had friends in the school, but those friends would soon turn on you if there was an extra five cigarettes a day and the teachers said 'Go and sort them out.' We used to have a telephone booth which had a little counter on it so we were able to ring our parents or social services, but [the calls] were all mum came to the school and I said 'Please take me home with you' and she wouldn't. Everybody thought we were lying - this place was all hunky dory. Well, it wasn't. We were being abused, and very physically abused as so many people - not myself, I'm a strong lad and I carry on - that I'm in contact with that have got a bad life. They don't know any other way of life... They can't leave the Red House is one of the reasons why we have to have closure... because people just can't move on. They're stuck in the past and that's not fair on them.I want someone held accountable for why some of us are the way we are. I've had a really bad life myself, but this stems from the school. It took me a long time to realise wrong isn't right and right isn't wrong.I've done some bad things in my life that I'm not proud of, but when you're being brought up to be that, that's ok. You can be rewarded for that and you don't know any school was shut down in 1998. I was placed back into a children's home in Oxford and by the time I was 16 I discharged myself from care... and I was out to cause misery to every single person that crossed my path, because that's the life I'd been brought up in.I have been abusive to people. I have been arrested for things I'm not proud of being arrested for.I've tried to make amends as the years have gone on but that was the sort of life we were being brought up in.I didn't have an adult figure in my life as a child to show me what was right and wrong. I've been through the justice system up until I was 27. I did my last prison sentence in 2007, and from then I've just tried to keep my head down and hold down a job and just be a normal I not been there [at the Red House], I may have been a different person. My past has come back to bite me on the backside too many times and I don't want to live that life any more.I want to be a normal bloke where people like me and [do] not associate me with being the bad person that I was.I still see my mum... She says when she used to come to see me that the teachers used to say we were off doing this or that, so they couldn't see my mum now believes something happened. She's apologised immensely, knowing she couldn't do anything about it because I was under the care of social taken a lot for her to understand it [and] it helped when I got my social services reports; that she got to see some of the things that happened in the now we are being believed, it's a bit of a relief. 'The allegations are deeply concerning' A Norfolk County Council inspection report, seen by the BBC, said the school was registered as a children's home in August report, based on an inspection carried out in April 1994, said that since June 1992 there had been 16 reported incidents of suspected abuse of children comprised seven incidents of suspected sexual abuse and nine of suspected physical abuse or inappropriate restraint, involving 20 children in a statement, the council said it did not place any of the claimants in the case at Red it had received 14 "letters before action", it said: "The allegations made by former pupils of the independent Small School at Red House are deeply concerning and we have co-operated fully with investigations, which relate to children that were placed there by other local authorities more than 30 years ago."Our thoughts are with all survivors of abuse but as there is an ongoing legal claim we cannot comment further."Red House was operated by Tvind, a controversial Danish-based group founded in the 1960s that has been embroiled in financial scandals since the a company of the same name that provides teacher training told the BBC it was unrelated to the business that ran Red House."We are unable to provide comment as we have no status in relation to the former Tvind School Co-operation, and we are not aware of any legal action," it said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Forbes
20-04-2025
- Forbes
Suffolk: The New Cotswolds
Aldeburgh, a coastal town in Suffolk, UK. getty Not as well known to tourists as other popular regions in England like the Lake District or the Cotswolds, the county of Suffolk, just 90 minutes north east of London, has as much to offer visitors, without the crowds. The birthplace and subject of painters Gainsborough and Constable, Suffolk is known for its picturesque landscapes and historic villages. The quaint streets of historic towns like Bury St. Edmunds, Lavenham and Framlingham (with its castle) and seaside towns like Southwold and Aldeburgh are among the highlights. Willy Lot's House Cottage, Flatford Mill, Suffolk, England. An ancient farmhouse made famous by a painting by artist John Constable. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Some of Suffolk's main attractions can be seen in a day or you could spend a few days at a charming guesthouse by the seaside or in the heart of the countryside. For starters, head to Flatford and see the mill that was the subject of John Constable's famous painting The Hay Wain and Bridge Cottage, which houses a Constable exhibition. The surrounding landscapes seen in his paintings remain unchanged to this day. Framlingham castle, Suffolk, UK getty After a stroll around Constable country, head north to the famous Anglo-Saxon burial site Sutton Hoo in Woodbridge with its fascinating museum and walking trails. Then travel to one of the charming coastal towns, Aldeburgh or Southwold. Inland, stop in Framlingham and see the impressive 12th-century castle, followed by a visit to Lavenham, a gorgeous medieval village with an abundance of well-preserved timber-framed houses. Gainsborough's House, a Grade I-listed eighteenth-century Merchant house, was the childhood home of the artist and holds the most comprehensive collection of Thomas Gainsborough's artwork within a single setting anywhere in the world. The Red House in Aldeburgh, the former home of composer Benjamin Britten, shows an eclectic mix of art, artefacts, furniture and furnishings. SCA lifestyle boutique, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK James Payne If you had to choose one place in Suffolk for a weekend break, Aldeburgh would be an obvious choice. Famous for its fresh seafood sold from fisherman's huts on the vast pebble beach, a giant Scallop sculpture by Maggi Hambling and charming shops, guesthouses and restaurants, Aldeburgh is the ideal English town for a seaside holiday. The high street has a good selection of cute shops, with a few that really stand out. The hotly anticipated, chic new S.C.A. lifestyle boutique had queues around the block for their opening this Easter weekend. The shop offers a more contemporary range of international brands than you'd find in a typical seaside clothing store. Designs in the stylish S.C.A. include Esme Studios (Denmark), Amente (California), Runaway Bicycle (India), (UK) plus French brands such as Hod Paris and Bon Parfumeur and candles and home scents from trendy British brand Earl of East. Another recent opening is Norfolk Natural Living, a perfumery selling a gorgeous, all-natural range of home scents, cleaning products and perfumes. All products are biodegradable, non-toxic, free from chlorine and bleach and made with plant-based ingredients. And no visit to Aldeburgh would be complete without stopping in historic O & C Butcher Outfitters. Established by Edward Butcher in 1884, the shop has been a part of Aldeburgh High Street for 130 years. It's strong on classic country lifestyle brands such as Schoffel, Barbour and Dubarry. The Suffolk, Aldeburgh The Suffolk In Aldeburgh, a former 17th-century inn is now a small boutique hotel, The Suffolk, with six lovely double rooms, all individually designed by a local interior designer. Two rooms, Orford Ness and The Havergate have sea views and the roof terrace with a bar, open in warmer months, overlooks the beach. A nice touch is the pantry on the landing, offering complimentary house cocktails and a fridge stocked with cheese and charcuterie. Rooms, including breakfast, are from £170/night. The Suffolk dining room, Aldeburgh, Suffolk The Suffolk The restaurant at the Suffolk is superb. The dining room is bright and airy and the seafood-focused menu is great. The chef sources locally with Oysters from Pinneys of Orford, fresh fish from Wightman based in Lowestoft, as well as meat from Salter & King in Aldeburgh. Don't miss the dressed crab starter and for a main, the crab linguine is delicious. Also in Aldeburgh is The Brudenell Hotel, a 4-star beachside hotel with 44 rooms and the Seafood & Grill Restaurant. Double rooms are from £185. For some of the best fish and chips in the country, join the queue at The Golden Galleon on Aldeburgh high street. Two Magpies bakery and cafe in Aldeburgh and (Framlingham) is a cozy spot for brunch or freshly baked sourdough bread, morning pastries, savories and sweet treats. The Peacock Inn, Chelsworth, Suffolk, UK Peacock Inland, in the sweet village of Chelsworth, is The Peacock Inn a beautiful grade II listed, 14th-century timber-framed hostelry. The Peacock Inn just received a coveted Bib Gourmand and it was recently included in the Michelin Guide. Highlights from the seasonal menu include starters like saffron cured red mullet and asparagus and jersey royal salad and mains like rump of Suffolk lamb and roasted fillet of halibut. The Kings Head, Bidelston The Kings Head In Bildeston, the newly opened Kings Head, dating back to 1470 when it was a wool factory, is now a cosy pub and restaurant run by husband and wife team, Sophie McCreddie and Peter Goss. Working alongside local chefs, they offer a daily menu with locally sourced produce, including wild venison from Lavenham Butchers, sourdough from Biddles Bread, hand churned ice cream from Tornado Ices and cheeses of Fen Farm Dairy. To drink is organic artisan wine (and there's an in-house micro wine shop) and Suffolk beers. At The Greyhound in Pettistree, Head Chef, Adam Spicer, serves a short seasonal menu inspired by the rural surrounds. In daily contact with local producers, the menu often changes based on the best of what is available nearby.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Madlib Teams With Your Old Droog for ‘Droogie Otis' Project, the Hip-Hop Producer's First Since Altadena Fires Claimed His Home Studio (EXCLUSIVE)
With the release of 'Everything Designer,' his third single since the release of 'Movie' in June 2024, Your Old Droog continues to maintain a reputation as one of the most prolific rappers in the music industry. Released under the pseudonym Droogie Otis, the track featuring Boldy James marks the first song from Droog's upcoming album-length collaboration with Madlib (nee Otis Lee Jackson, Jr.), the acclaimed producer for MF Doom, Freddie Gibbs, De La Soul, Kanye West, Erykah Badu and dozens more. It's also the first work from Madlib since he lost his home, studio and legendary record collection in the fires that destroyed much of Altadena, California in Jan. 2025. More from Variety Your Old Droog Premieres 'Movie' Album Follow-Up Single 'Suspects,' Produced by Edan (EXCLUSIVE) Madlib, Producer for Kanye West and Mos Def, Sues Former Manager Over Deceptive Business Practices Your Old Droog Reveals How MF Doom, Madlib and Frank Zappa Led to the Full-Circle Moment of 'Movie' 'I think, just on a personal level, it's a horrible thing,' Droog tells Variety. 'But we keep working. I think when things like that happen, it pushes you to be greater and try to keep going.' With both his and James' verses, the track showcases the kind of lyrical dexterity that's become a cornerstone of Droog's music. 'Remember all them days we stepped out, left to wander / Bumping Jimi Hendrix Red House over yonder,' Droog raps. 'Flunking out of grammar school, fucking up some commas / Slow at math, always going half like Arnold Palmer.' Droog says that the Droogie Otis project fulfills a goal he set for himself at the beginning of his career. 'When I recorded my self-titled debut, my mindset was, I'm in here trying to showcase what I can do from a lyrical standpoint so I could get beats from somebody of the caliber of a Madlib,' he says. 'So I kept turning out projects year after year. Then in the fall of 2021, I get a text from [rapper and producer] Edan, who got a text from [former Stones Throw Records manager] Egon saying that Madlib wanted to get in touch with me and work. So we immediately started working on joints.' Insisting 'it's not rocket science,' Droog says their collaboration quickly bore fruit. 'His beats are pretty great, so they're easy to write to.' But even after releasing a number of tracks produced by Madlib as a solo artist, the rapper says that the idea to create a full album evolved slowly. 'Personally for me, the bar is always 'Madvillain',' he says, referring to Madlib's supergroup team-up album with MF Doom. 'But we've kind of got our own thing. We'd dabble in a lot of different sounds and stuff, but it's almost been just making music for the love of it. 'Eventually you've got to snap out of it and be like, 'Okay, we should probably make some money',' he says. 'But I don't think money is the motive with this … it's just making great art with somebody you consider a brother.' Fusing together the rapper's stage name with Madlib's government name, Droogie Otis was born. Droog says the album doesn't have an official title yet, but it's due out 'this summer.' Part of the uncertainty, Droog says, is because he has been taking his cues from Madlib, who shares a spontaneity that frequently supersedes more traditional release plans and marketing strategies. 'We do it because we love it regardless of what's going on in our lives. There's always been that approach where he's hit me multiple times like, 'Yo, drop this joint,' and the song will come out that week or the following week. The business comes after. We're centered around the art.' In the meantime, Droog continues to develop projects with other collaborators; he says that he's got tracks in the works with Edan, who produced his December 2024 single 'Suspects,' and with rapper-producer Count Bass D. Otherwise, he remains part of the group of colleagues and collaborators helping to raise money and resources so that Madlib can rebuild his record collection and studio. 'We did the tribute shows, I think they're doing one in LA,' he says. 'I know [producer] Pete Rock said he's going to give Otis some records. So we're all coming together.' 'I think when things like [the fires] happen, it pushes you to be greater and try to keep going.' 'Everything Designer' debuts on streaming services March 21. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Sky News
12-03-2025
- Sky News
Warning: This article contains material some readers may find distressing.
"The teachers would shake, slap and beat you into submission." "I remember being woken being raped." "It was a cult. It wasn't a school in the slightest." Kyle*, a security worker in his mid-forties, is talking about The Red House, a now defunct children's home in remote Norfolk. Based in a red brick building, set deep in the countryside, it was almost entirely cut off. Former students report a toxic culture of public shaming and sexual abuse, with staff acting as violent ringleaders. At the heart of these abuse allegations is a Danish co-operative which ran more than 25 similar establishments and became embroiled in a financial scandal. "They gave me the beating of my life," Kyle says, recalling a brutal attack by fellow students, ordered by a teacher. "He came in with two or three students and said: 'Go and get him.' I had broken ribs, a cracked jaw and black eyes." As he left the room, the teacher turned to Kyle and said: "You deserve that." Born into a family with addiction problems, Kyle arrived at The Red House aged 14. A brochure shown to him by his social worker promised the opportunity for children who had suffered "abuse and neglect" to "start afresh" with sailing and horse riding, as well as "building friendships with teachers". But soon after arriving, he claims the reality of his new home became clear. "Teachers would put a chair in the middle of the marble hall and sit you there in front of everybody." Kyle, former Red House student "They'd allow students to hit you in the face. The teachers would shake, slap and beat you into submission." 'SLAVE LABOUR' As well as being a home, The Red House was supposed to offer children an education focused on manual work. Kyle's childhood dream of being an architect was quickly shattered. He recalls children being used as "slave labour" to maintain the school's facilities, building shower blocks, bricklaying and painting. Kyle left the home unable to read and write. Hundreds of children in care from across the UK were sent to The Red House between 1984 and 1998. Kyle is one of 43 former students who are now in the process of taking legal action for the physical, sexual and psychological abuse they allegedly experienced there. He says he is in touch with over 60 more victims from The Red House who are not ready to come forward. The home was run by the Tvind School Cooperative of Denmark, a controversial group founded in the late 1960s by a left-wing teacher called Mogens Amdi Petersen. A hippy guru with long hair and woolly jumpers, he attracted followers with his vision of how they could change the world. Tvind opened around 30 radical schools in Denmark, most for disadvantaged children, and two in England: The Red House in Norfolk and The Small School in East Yorkshire. Local authorities could pay Tvind up to £4,000 per month for the education, care and welfare of each child. Teachers were also expected to donate their salary to the organisation and live communally. "They objected to learning from books," says Jes Fabricus Moeller, an associate professor from Copenhagen University, who has written a book about the organisation. "A famous phrase of theirs was: 'You can't see the world if you look into a book' - that was part anti-intellectual, but it was also the idea that learning by doing is much better." Jes Fabricus Moeller Tvind Schools have mostly closed in Denmark and many former students have spoken positively of the unconventional education they received. The schools are not widely associated with child abuse, it is claimed The Red House was the exception. 'I WOKE UP BEING RAPED' Hayley was 13 when she was sent to The Red House. Now 44, her no-nonsense attitude makes her appear tough. Dressed all in black, her nails are bright pink and her hands are covered in small, black tattoos. She describes the way staff used to violently restrain pupils, with multiple people pinning her on the floor. "I thought I was going to die because I couldn't breathe," she says tearfully. The Tvind ethos was based around helping developing countries, sometimes by fundraising or manual labour. Students at The Red House would spend months abroad, often travelling in old buses. Hayley was on one such trip in India when she claims to have been sexually assaulted. "I remember being woken to being raped. I tried to find a teacher but they just told me to go back to bed and said I was lying." Hayley claims to have been raped multiple times while at The Red House. Steven, 50, from Newcastle, also claims to have experienced physical and sexual abuse while at the home. Orphaned at a young age, he was placed in multiple children's homes before arriving at The Red House aged 12. He says he was molested and is now unable to work due to complex post-traumatic stress disorder, which stems from his time at the home. "I will never get the screams of children being raped out of my head." Steven also claims he endured regular beatings from the headmaster. If children wet the bed, he says, they were forced to wear a nappy and run around with a toilet seat above their head, in full view of everyone. A RIOT AT THE SCHOOL In 1989, children tried to alert the authorities about what was happening at the school by staging a riot. Windows were smashed and buildings damaged. Steven thought help had arrived when police officers appeared, but instead they arrested him and 17 other pupils, charging them with violent disorder and criminal damage. Inspections by regulatory bodies revealed growing concern from authorities about The Red House. In 1990, the Social Services Inspectorate wrote to directors of local authorities warning them against sending children to the home. It listed allegations including sexual assault by a teacher from Denmark, physical abuse by teachers and a gang rape by three pupils. A report made by Norfolk County Council in 1994 shows they were aware of reports of 20 victims of child abuse. Despite allegations of abuse being clearly documented, the home continued to operate. Two years later, the Charity Commission began an inquiry into the home over concerns that funds from the home, which were meant for the charity, were instead being siphoned off to private businesses and Tvind's leaders. Sky News has obtained a copy of the Social Services Inspectorate letter highlighting concerns raised at The Red House in 1990. FINANCIAL SCANDAL As well as deriving income from their schools, Tvind ran the aid organisation Humana People to People, with projects in 26 countries. Money was often raised by the collection of used clothes, which were recycled and sold in developing countries, but controversy later grew over Tvind's finances. In the 1990s, Danish authorities and the FBI claimed funds meant for the organisation's charitable arm were being used as part of a money-laundering network, with money going into the accounts of Tvind's inner circle - The Teachers' Group - made up of around 600 loyal members. In 2003, Petersen and seven others from the group were put on trial in Denmark in a £15m fraud and embezzlement case. He was acquitted, but by the time the prosecution appealed against that decision, Petersen had fled to Mexico, where it is understood he remains. In 1998, The Red House and Winestead Hall were closed down by the Charity Commission. Steen Thomsen, a former headteacher at Winestead Hall, is one of the few former members of the inner circle who has publicly criticised Tvind. He joined aged 24, excited by the prospect of being part of a "socialist" group. "We wanted equality, a better world and to think about how we can be a force for change." Now 76, Steen seems conflicted by what Tvind could have been and the reality of what it became. Dressed in black with a white beard, he greets me at his home in north Denmark, where the smell of coffee and fresh pastries waft from the kitchen. There are photos of his grandchildren on the walls, but none of Steen from his childhood. He says Petersen ordered members to destroy photos of their lives before they joined. All romantic relationships also had to be approved by the leader. "If I had a relationship with one of the women within the teachers' group, it would be controlled. If you wanted to marry or have children, that would be difficult." In 1998, Steen became aware that Tvind was funnelling money out of the charity-run schools in England. He left and went straight to the bank to make sure his final month's salary would stay in his account. "It was a mixture of being free and feeling guilty because I was leaving my old friends. I knew that in a way I was betraying them." He says he became an "outcast" and wrote to the Danish Ministry of Education denouncing Tvind as a cult - which he still believes to be true. WHAT BECAME OF TVIND? With Tvind's leader thought to be in Mexico, it's unclear what has become of this mysterious group. The Tvind International School Centre operates mainly as a teacher training college in west Denmark, on the site where the group first began. Their website describes Tvind as an "educational and cultural collaboration of a number of independent Danish institutions", and says they are no longer associated with the former Tvind co-operation which operated The Red House. The campus is isolated, surrounded by high pine trees, away from prying eyes. Looming above it is an enormous wind turbine. Built in 1978 by students, it has become the longest-running wind turbine in the world. Walking around the site, it feels stuck in time, but it is here that our investigation, which began in Norfolk, takes us to a former Red House headteacher who continues to work at the centre. But the man, who can't be named for legal reasons, declined to speak to us. He has denied physically abusing any children in his care or knowing about any abuse by his staff. Back in the UK, Norfolk Police have carried out two "extensive" investigations, between 1984 and 1998, into allegations of abuse at The Red House. Officers travelled to Denmark in 2017 to conduct interviews, including with the former headteacher, but no one has been charged. In a statement, Norfolk Police said that due to "evidential difficulties" and "statutory time limits", they had concluded "there was no realistic prospect of achieving a conviction against any suspect". "We have personally contacted all victims and visited those who agreed to meet with us to explain the outcome of this latest investigation," the force added. The 43 victims of alleged abuse at The Red House are in the process of suing Norfolk County Council and the local authorities that sent them to the home. "There was opportunity after opportunity for the authorities to stop the abuse," said Daniel Lemberger Cooper of Imran Khan and Partners, the law firm representing the victims. "But it was - shockingly - allowed to carry on. Why that was, and who was responsible is precisely why my clients are bringing this legal action." The victims are being supported by the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, which campaigns over historical abuse in children's homes in south London. Its co-founder, Dr Raymond Stevenson, said the victims want answers. "The organisation that ran The Red House was an international company. So who's responsible? The local council that sent them there or the government? I suggest all of them". Dr Raymond Stevenson, co-founder of Shirley Oaks Association Norfolk County Council has described the allegations as "deeply concerning", adding they have "cooperated fully with investigations, which relate to children that were placed there by other local authorities". For Kyle, his focus now is trying to make sure those who allowed vulnerable children in their care to be abused are held to account. "There are still people from this organisation that are here in the UK, and spread around Europe, that need to be brought to justice." Scandals involving historical abuse in children's homes in the UK are sadly not new. But The Red House is unique for how an international group, regarded by many as a cult, was able to take control of two children's homes in England, allegedly abusing and profiteering from vulnerable children in care. All the while projecting an image of generous philanthropy to the rest of the world. *Names have been changed CREDITS Reporting by Alice Porter, news correspondent and Sophie Falcon, producer Editing by Serena Kutchinsky, assistant editor Shorthand by Megan Harwood-Baynes, social affairs and health reporter Design by Eloise Atter and Yetunde Adeleye, designers Images: Contributor handouts Top Built with Shorthand
