An alleged child molester was allowed to carry on working as a teacher for 12 years after being charged with sexual offences.
More than 30 former pupils of Formby High School have now come forward claiming that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of Ian Farquharson, who served as head of lower school. Farquharson killed himself in 1992 after a complaint was made by the mother of a child.
It has now emerged that Farquharson had been charged with inciting young boys to commit acts of gross indecency in 1980. According to reports in the ECHO, in February 1980, Farquharson plied his pupils with lemonade after school hours and encouraged them to commit sex acts while he spied on them through a keyhole.
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However he was cleared of that charge at Crosby Magistrates' Court, after claiming the boys had "tried to get him into trouble" after he had to "discipline" them in the past. He was allowed to carry on teaching after the case was dismissed, telling reporters he was glad his "ordeal" was over.
In March the ECHO reported how new allegations against Farquharson are emerging as part of a lawsuit against Sefton Council by the alleged victims, who are represented by Katherine Yates and Charlotte Denley, of Andrew Grove & Co solicitors. One former pupil shared his horrific experiences with the ECHO.
*David (not his real name) described how he had been groomed and severely sexually assaulted by Farquharson for months, who he said eventually attempted to rape him in the toilets of the school building. The trauma led to years of poor mental health and even serious suicide attempts.
He said: "To start with I just didn't really understand it. It was after I hit puberty, and when I was around 16 or 17, I started acting out, going out drinking.
"When I got a bit older I started hurting myself, I cut my wrists, I cut myself with Stanley knives. I have got scars all up my arms and chest. Everybody knew about it. I tried to kill myself."
David said he eventually told his parents who informed the school, and it is believed this led Farquharson to drive to North Wales and take his own life. Inquest reports from the time said his body was found inside his vehicle in a remote area near Mold, after he had been reported missing.
The evidence of the earlier court case will form part of the legal action by the victims' solicitors, who say their clients were abused between approximately 1975 and 1992. The firm said initially six survivors came forward in March this year after they saw a video on Facebook by a child abuse survivor. That number has since increased to 30.
Ms Yates says Formby High School and Sefton Council "have a lot to answer for".
She told the ECHO: "I cannot help but think that the tremendous psychological and psychiatric damage suffered by my clients could have been avoided if the school had taken the allegations seriously when they first came to light. Mr Farquharson was prosecuted in 1980 and six boys gave evidence against him.
"We do not know exactly why he was cleared but he told the court that these boys were just trying to get him into trouble. It appears he went back to teach at Formby High School as if nothing had happened and he carried on abusing boys for another 12 years until his death in 1992. It seems that the school did not carry out its own internal investigation and failed to keep an eye on Mr Farquharson after these criminal proceedings took place.
“After his death, rather than offering counselling and support to the child victims, a memorial plaque was placed in the school grounds which was unveiled with much ceremony and caused considerable further upset to the children concerned.
“School staff referred to Mr Farquharson’s death as being tragic whereas the suffering he caused among the children he abused was the real tragedy in this sad case. Investigations are now taking place to ascertain what else the school and the local authority knew and subsequently failed to act upon.”
Ms Yates said she believes there could be many more former students who are entitled to compensation. She added: "If anyone was abused at Formby High School, regardless of whether they have previously made a complaint, I would really like to hear from them.
“Understandably lots of people feel anxious about coming forward but we can offer a sympathetic ear and help them seek recompense for what happened to them. Also, all claims are being funded on a no win, no fee basis so there’s no cost involved.”
Ms Yates and Ms Denley can be contacted for further information on 01223 367133 or by email at katherine@andrewgroveandco.com or charlotte@andrewgroveandco.com.
A spokesman for Sefton Council told the ECHO it could not comment on the case.
