Monday 18 December 2017

Operation Winter Key

Operation Winter Key is the name given to the Metropolitan Police's overarching investigation into child sexual abuse. Soper was arrested and charged by officers working for Winter Key. A description provided by the Met themselves is here.

If you have information relating to child abuse (either of yourself or anyone else) at St Benedict's or any other Benedictine school, or by any monk past or present from Ealing Abbey or any other Benedictine monastery (whether the abuse took place at Ealing or elsewhere) then I would very much prefer that you contact the police and tell them about it rather than provide any details here.

In the early days of this blog, it was helpful for survivors to know they they weren't alone and that others had had similar experiences. But now, after the conviction of two monks and three other teachers at St Benedict's there can be no doubt of how widespread the abuse was, so this aspect of the blog's purpose is no longer required. I've decided therefore that I will only publish comments containing accounts of sexual abuse at Ealing in exceptional circumstances from now on.

If you call the police non-emergency number (101) and ask for Operation Winter Key, then I expect that you will be put through. Alternatively, I have contact details which I can provide on request. There is a link to my email address on the right-hand panel of this blog.

Operation Winter Key is continuing and the police will take seriously any information you may want to provide.

I realise that if you are a survivor, coming forward to the police may be very frightening. However, those who I have spoken to who have come forward have mostly described their relief at no longer having to keep the secret any more. It is not for me to say you should or should not come forward. That is an individual decision to be made if and when you feel ready for it. I would never criticise a survivor who decides that he (or she) doesn't have the strength to come forward for now.

2 comments:

  1. Jonathan that is very well said as should someone come forward with information related to an ongoing investigation, unlike Soper who has now been convicted, it could possibly make the case unsafe. Sopers defence QC did question my use of this blog but luckily it went nowhere for her as I hadn't provided confidential information. Very well said though.

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  2. Let them pull the wool over their own eyes, not ours .I remember when the balloon would go at St Bs .
    The surprise school inspection is next week! So basically social services have been tipping off stBs for years. Why?
    Also how come as a supposed core participant, nobody has asked me anything. There's a very good reason for that, my truth is feared.

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