FACTion-6.1-web-version

Simon Warr MASimon Warr taught modern and classical languages for over 30 years at the Royal Hospital School in Ipswich. He joinedthe BBC in 1999, where he has worked on local radio alongside his teaching duties. He has been a regular contributorto the “Jeremy Vine Show” on Radio 2. He was the Headmaster on Channel 4’s TV series “That’ll Teach ‘Em”. His firstnovel, “Howson’s Choice” was published in 2011 and was selling well until his arrest.Since the Savile allegations in late 2012, some of them true, some embellished, some, no doubt,fabricated, here in the UK we are in the face of a firestorm of historical child abuse allegations.Active encouragement is being given to adults who claim to remember, from even a half century ago, anyinappropriate behaviour which took place by a teacher or carer and, to quote the former DPP, Kier Starmer, 'thesecomplainants must be believed'. (Only they're sometimes referred to as 'victims'). Initially, barely a week passedwithout someone in the public eye being arrested, amidst maximum publicity, of course. But it wasn't just thefamous who were being targeted, as hundreds of ordinary folk, had their collar felt in the early hours of the morning.In 1769, William Blackstone wrote in 'Commentaries on the Laws of England': 'the law holds it that it is better that 10guilty persons go free than one innocent person suffers'. If only he were standing where I am now, he would hold hishead in despair. Of us who have made the trip to Cardiff this weekend, be in no doubt, there are a myriad more inour supposedly democratic society, who have been arrested, charged and imprisoned on the basis of unprovencomplaints. But, in modern Britain complainants 'must be believed' when it comes to alleged sex abuse. If this is themessage from the top of our legal profession, then is it any wonder that more and more innocent individuals arebeing arrested and, in many cases, unfairly punished? And when innocent people are punished and suffer the wrathof society, it is not only that person who has to suffer but also his or her family and close friends. It is impossible toexpress fully in words the horrors that one has to endure when accused of child abuse and only those who haveexperienced it will know fully the pain.When I stood in the dock and heard the jury utter the words 'Not Guilty', after less than 40 minutes' deliberation,(indeed, it has been subsequently reported to me that the jury had made their decisions within 15 minutes), itbrought to an end a two-year living nightmare.Accused of minor sexual offences of 30 years previously, I had endured nearly 2 years of hell, which at times hadbrought me to the cusp of despair. Not only had I suffered the stress of a very public seven day trial, I had alsowitnessed my life being torn apart before my very eyes.I lost my job, my biggest passion, as well as my home and community, my reputation and my peace of mind.I was forced to endure the terror of simultaneous dawn raids on both my home in Suffolk and my flat in WestLondon. In the early hours of the 18th of December 2012, I was awoken at my Suffolk house by the arrival of a groupof local police officers, one of whom read me my rights as the others ransacked all my possessions. I quickly realisedmy London flat was being searched at the same time. They took away everything that was personal to me. Theyproceeded to look at every email I'd ever written, look at every photo I'd ever taken, read every phone message I'dever sent or received. In short, my life was invaded.The allegations made related to a former pupil of St George's School, near Stowmarket, where I had taught for 2years in the early 1980s. After my arrest, precisely 672 days later, a jury decided almost immediately that there wasno truth in this person's allegations, nor those of the accuser's close friend, nor an ex-pupil of the school where Ihave been teaching for the past 30 years. The allegations had ranged from ' checking me inappropriately after ashower' to 'chasing me around a packed day room trying to pinch my bottom'.I, an ex-teacher of over 30 years and now a BBC reporter, who has appeared on various national television and radioshows, have the task of piecing my life back together - or what is left of it.Am I angry? I am angry and frustrated that I've had 2 years of my life taken from me. I firmly believe that thereshould be a maximum limit of 3 months on bail and, if the police want to extend the time, they should have to seekpermission from a judge, giving good reasons. But, rather than wallowing in self pity, of more concern to me is Iwant this and other lessons to be learned. Yes, I was badly affected - I suddenly lost my life as I'd known it: but IFACTion 7 Volume 6.1