Why boarding schools must do more to tackle child-on-child sexual abuse

‘It is no longer credible for any school to plead ignorance on the shocking prevalence of sexual violence among pupils,’ said Andrew Lord, a partner in the abuse claims team at Leigh Day. Photograph: AlexLinch/Getty Images

Benji* was in his early teens when a fellow pupil at one of the country’s most prestigious independent schools began a series of sexual assaults against him that went on for years.

He had previously been happy at school, where he excelled at sport. Then one night he woke in his dormitory to find the other boy’s hand on his penis. “I just froze,” said Benji.