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My life was ruined by sex abuse at homes for children

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THEIR claims span decades, cover five children's homes in and around Nottingham, and have led to a huge police investigation.

What started with allegations made by a handful of former Beechwood Community House residents has led to scores more people coming forward and four other homes being implicated.

James Cleverley, of Netherfield, is one of those who says he was abused at Beechwood, in Mapperley.

He agreed to waive his legal right to anonymity to tell his story in the Post.

"In my first week there I was raped," he said.

"I was made to do sex acts with a male member of staff."

In a quiet but determined voice, he reels through his claims of what he was subjected to. He had arrived at the former home as a boy in the early 1970s and was later moved to Wood Nook, Beechdale Road, where he says he was made to have sex with a member of staff.

He then went to Bracken House, Bulwell, where again he was raped, he says. The abuse continued again at Risley Hall, Derbyshire, he says.

He said: "I was entertainment for the people who abused me."

He added: "I think what my life would have been like if I hadn't been through that.

"I want people to know that's what happened in these sorts of places. I want these people to be caught and sent away.

"I can't get my life back – they ruined it."

Mr Cleverley, 52, worked in the fairground business after getting out of care aged around 18, and settled in Nottingham.

Another woman, who cannot be named, arrived at Beechwood in the late 1970s and, in all, was in 11 children's homes.

"I used to think it was strange at Beechwood. Children and staff would sit in each other's laps," she said.

She said things intensified when a man took her to a dorm room at Beechwood.

"He would touch me and get me to touch him.

"It sounds so weird, but you get used to it – you ended up not thinking anything of it, you get used to paedophiles."

The woman, now in her 40s, grew up in Nottingham and is now living in Radford.

Both her and Mr Cleverley came forward to speak to police and solicitors after reading media coverage about the claims made at Beechwood.

The woman added: "I'm sure the 56 are the tip of the iceberg. Eventually we want justice – we want the people who did this to answer for it."

Another man, in his 20s, who was at Beechwood in the 1990s said he suffered physical abuse there. He said: "There is a lot more to come.

"It's important to get it noticed that it's not just in relation to Beechwood now."

My life was ruined by sex abuse at homes for children


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