Charles Spencer leaves for Maidwell Hall, Photo courtesy of Charles Spencer by way NBC News
Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has written an expose about the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse he endured at Maidwell Hall in the 1970s [1]. Titled A Very Private School, the book exposes the grim realities at one elite boarding school.
Clearly though this is not an isolated problem.
A Widespread Problem
“How I hated schools, and what a life of anxiety I lived there. I counted the hours to the end of every term, when I should return home.”
–Winston Churchill [2]
A 2018 documentary “Boarding Schools: The Secret Shame” disclosed 31 separate investigations into alleged sexual assault at British boarding schools [3]. The suspicion is that there are many more such instances under investigation.
While it is a legal requirement for schools to report abuse, there is no assurance of compliance. Because records are decentralized, even Britain’s Dept. for Education may not be aware how many schools are failing to meet standards [7]. Continue reading
ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 