Private school with £35,000 a year fees pays ‘substantial sum’ and apologises to former pupil after it accepts he was sexually abused by chaplain as they watched Top of the Pops
- Sutton Valence School in Kent has reached a settlement with the former pupil
- The man claims David Barnes sexually assaulted him aged 13 on school grounds
- Barnes’ ‘depraved acts were public knowledge at the school’, a law firm has said
A private school with £35,000-a-year fees has agreed to pay a ‘substantial sum’ and apologised to a former pupil after it accepted he was sexually abused by the chaplain as they watched Top of the Pops on school grounds.
The former pupil, who has chosen to remain anonymous, claimed Reverend David Barnes sexually assaulted him when he was just 13 at the prestigious Sutton Valence School in the 80s.
Rev Barnes – who was the chaplain for eleven years – allegedly invited the pupil to his home on the grounds to ‘chat’ after he noticed the boy was being bullied at the top boarding school in Maidstone, Kent.
The alleged victim said they watched Top of the Pops and drank ‘several gin and tonics’ before he was brought upstairs and claims he was raped – after which Rev Barnes is said to have taken polaroid pictures of him.
The ex-pupil – now a married father in his 50s – said those photos were put in a box, where he saw around 30 pictures of other boys.
Leigh Day law firm, who represented the man in civil proceedings against the school, said they spoke to ‘a significant number of men’ who also alleged sexual abuse by the chaplain and said the ‘depraved acts were public knowledge at the school’.
Sutton Valence School told MailOnline they ‘apologise unreservedly’ and ‘what happened to this former pupil should never have happened’.
Reverend Barnes was chaplain between 1975 and 1987 at Sutton Valence (pictured), a co-educational day and boarding school for ages two to 18
Rev Barnes was the chaplain between 1975 and 1987 at Sutton Valence, a co-educational day and boarding school for ages two to 18.
He was a parish priest until 2001, and died in 2012 after working as an assistant curate of Crayford, a RAF chaplain and assistant curate of Minster-on-Sheppey.
He died aged 75 without ever being questioned by the police about abuse allegations.
The alleged victim brought civil proceedings against the school this year, seeking acknowledgment that the abuse had taken place.
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He said that when he started at the school he was ‘severely bullied’ and he would hide in a cupboard from his bullies.
The chaplain saw he was ‘vulnerable’ and invited him to his home on the grounds where they watched television and he gave the boy ‘gin and tonics and cigarettes’.
The ex-student told KentOnline: ‘That’s when he started rubbing up and down my legs. He took me upstairs and said he wanted to show me his house and that’s when he raped me. He then took pictures of me and put them in a box.
‘There must have been about 30 pictures of other boys in that box. It has had a dramatic impact on pretty much every part of my life.’
He said he wanted to tell his parents at the time but felt ‘ashamed’ and as if he was to blame.
The man admitted he probably never would have come forward about his abuse if he hadn’t spotted Barnes in a pub one day 11 years ago.
Just a few weeks before the chaplain died, his alleged victim saw him across the bar, left feeling like ‘I was a teenager again, I started shaking and was terrified’.
Seeing him triggered a breakdown and he subsequently sought therapy – with the father adding he was aware he was in the ‘privileged position’ to be able to spend £20,000 on therapy while many other victims can’t.
That’s why he plans to donate the money from the settlement with the school to charity or to set up a fund to help other victims get treatment for their trauma.
He is now calling on Sutton Valence School to ‘step forward’ and help solve safeguarding problems which he thinks are happening at other schools as well.
This isn’t the first time scandal has come from the school. In May 2022, the school’s former chemistry teacher Dr Mohammed Afzal was jailed for three years for sexually assaulting a pupil
Leigh Day law firm said in a statement: ‘Without a criminal conviction it was difficult to prove the abuse had taken place.
‘However, the Leigh Day abuse claims team carried out extensive research and were able to speak to a significant number of men who also alleged sexual abuse by Mr Barnes.
‘Others reported that Mr Barnes’ depraved acts were public knowledge at the school.’
Dino Nocivelli, who represented the man, said: ‘The conclusion of this case and the disclosures of others who suffered abuse at the hands of Rev Barnes has given my client a sense of closure and he now intends to use his compensation to help other abuse survivors.’
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A spokesperson for Sutton Valence School said: ‘What happened to this former pupil should never have happened. We apologise unreservedly for what they endured.
‘When we received their legal claim last year, we immediately notified the police, local authority, and the Charity Commission, following our strict processes for all safeguarding matters.
‘We continue to be in direct contact with the former pupil and we are providing ongoing support.’
This isn’t the first time scandal has come from the school.
In May 2022, the school’s former chemistry teacher Dr Mohammed Afzal was jailed for three years for sexually assaulting a girl pupil in 1993.
The allegations against the 67-year-old, who went on to teach at other institutions, were reported to senior staff 30 years prior, but police were never informed.
Instead, he was permitted to resign and teach elsewhere.
A court heard how police officers were also able to find written details backing the child’s complaint in the archives at Sutton Valence – and a tape recording of Afzal attempting to seduce another pupil.
Sutton Valence said in a statement at the time: ‘We condemn the actions of this individual in the strongest possible terms, and we express our sympathy to the victims.
‘The school notified the Department for Education directly in 1993, following the staff member’s immediate suspension, and the authorities chose to take no further action.
‘The school was first approached by police in 2019 for information to support the recent criminal case, and we have provided our full support throughout.
‘In recent inspections, the school has been praised for its safeguarding procedures – nothing is more important than the safety of members of our community.’
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