Shropshire Star

Shropshire arrest in investigation into historic sex abuse at top boarding school

Police looking into historic sex abuse against pupils at a top boarding school made an arrest of one suspect in Shropshire, it had been revealed.

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Three former members of staff are now under investigation into historic alleged assaults at Christ's Hospital in Horsham, West Sussex. The men are all in their 60s.

The alleged attacks on as many as nine pupils are all said to have taken place at the prestigious school in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Christ's Hospital charges boarders up to £31,500 a year and counts Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb, and poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge among its former pupils.

Sussex Police said a 65-year-old man was arrested in Shropshire, on January 29, on suspicion of indecently assaulting a girl, 18, in 1994, and a boy, 18, in 1990. He has also been accused of indecently assaulting a boy, aged 15-16, in 1988 or 1989. No further details have been given about his identity.

Officers also arrested a 66-year-old man in North Yorkshire on January 29 on suspicion of raping a girl aged 16-18 in 1992-94. He has also been accused of indecently assaulting another girl, 17, in 1994.

Officers also arrested a 62-year-old man in west London on June 12 on suspicion of indecently assaulting four girls aged 14-17 between 1985-1993.

All men have been bailed until December 15, a force spokesman added.

The school was founded in the 16th century and its pupils still wear a Tudor-style uniform of a long blue coat and high yellow socks.

A spokesman saids: "Christ's Hospital takes its moral and legal obligation to safeguard pupils very seriously.

"The school is aware that arrests have been made in relation to some non-recent allegations and is co-operating fully with police investigations."

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