21 years for ex-headteacher jailed for child abuse

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Roy Hodgson for England: A club of one

To argue against Harry Redknapp for England is akin to arguing in favour of bankers bonuses. While s...

Time for a reality check on the Sri Lankan civil war

Sri Lanka, much like Britain, has side-lined accountability long enough.

Children Of Alcoholics week: One million children may just be the tip of the iceberg

Children Of Alcoholics week starts today. So, what are the aims for Nacoa during this important week...

Review of Being Human: ‘Being Human 1955’

Following on from an episode tinged with tragedy, this week lifted the mood with something lighter.

A former boarding school head who sexually and physically abused boy pupils during the late 1970s and early 1980s was today given a 21-year jail term.

Oxford-educated Derek Slade, 61, of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was convicted of more than 50 offences - including possessing pornographic images of children on a computer.



Judge Peter Fenn recommended that Slade should serve at least 14 years before being released on parole and pay £30,000 towards prosecution costs.



He said Slade's victims had "lost days of childhood innocence", been left with feelings of inadequacy, blame and worthlessness and become men whose "lives were seriously damaged".



A jury found Slade guilty of sexually assaulting and beating 12 boys aged between eight and 13 between 1978 and 1983 following a four-week trial at Ipswich Crown Court.



Jurors heard that Slade ran St George's private school, which was initially based in Wicklewood, Norfolk, then moved to Great Finborough, Suffolk, in 1980.



Prosecutors said Slade meted out "brutal" beatings. He had hit boys with a slipper, a table tennis bat and his bare hand, ordered youngsters to write about "whackings I have had" and given "kickings" to boys who upset him.



Boys had also been used as waiters at private dinners then "chosen" by Slade and his guests, jurors were told.



The court heard that most pupils were the sons of servicemen and women and pupil numbers rose from about 20 in 1978, when Slade and colleagues opened the school, to 350 in 1983, when Slade left.



Slade was arrested after former pupils complained two years ago. One victim said he had never told his parents what had happened. Another described Slade's assaults as "reigns of terror".



Several victims were in court for the sentencing hearing. Some wept and one applauded as Slade was led away. One victim said afterwards that the sentence was "good enough".



Slade admitted assault, indecent assault and child pornography offences. He denied other allegations of assault and indecent assault but was found guilty after a month-long trial.



He also admitted being a paedophile and told jurors that there was a sexual motive behind the corporal punishment he inflicted.



But he denied more serious sexual assaults, including prosecution allegations that he hosted "midnight feasts" after which boys would be abused.



The court heard that St George's had been in the spotlight in 1982 when the BBC Radio 4 Checkpoint programme reported on its harsh regime. School inspectors had investigated, made some criticisms but not substantiated the BBC's allegations.



"Whilst Slade may have committed these offences 30 years ago, for the victims their pain remains very real," said Detective Inspector Adrian Randall, who led the inquiry, after the hearing.



"I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for these men to come forward and try to make sense of what happened to them decades ago as defenceless young boys."



Detective Inspector Randall said around a dozen officers had worked on the inquiry for about 18 months - although he said he could not put a figure on the cost.



Sources said after the hearing that investigations were continuing and the "chapter was not closed".

Day In a Page

The 10 Best sledges

The 10 Best sledges

Not all of them require snow...
Procrastination: Not now – I'm busy

Procrastination: Not now – I'm busy

Confronting the real reasons for puttting things off can help us beat it
Fun in the sunset years

Fun in the sunset years

A new movie follows retirees moving to India for low-cost care and a culture of respect for the elderly. For many Britons, it's already a reality
Picture preview: Lucian Freud drawings

Lucian Freud drawings

Picture preview
Silent revolution at the Baftas as the French take top awards

Silent revolution at the Baftas

The Artist wins in seven categories, with Meryl Streep the other big success story
Whitney Houston: The diva who had – and lost – it all

The diva who had – and lost – it all

Nick Hasted charts the highs and lows of Whitney Houston's life
How Picasso won over (some of) the British

How Picasso won over (some of) the British

Winston Churchill and Evelyn Waugh hated his work, but Picasso provided inspiration for a whole generation of UK artists
Topshop: A Decade Of Design

Topshop: A Decade Of Design

When London Fashion Week starts on Friday, Topshop will celebrate 10 years backing its brightest young stars
John Prescott: 'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

At 73, John Prescott isn't mellowing. In fact he's taking a shot at becoming a police commissioner
Jim Gamble: We are losing the race to protect our young

Jim Gamble: We are losing the race to protect our young

Technology and the children who use it won't wait for slow-moving child-protection services and police to catch up
Sarah Sands: A friend is not the one you turn to, but the person who turns to you

Sarah Sands on friendship

A friend is not the one you turn to, but the person who turns to you
Andy Burnham: 'It's a genie out of the bottle moment'

Andy Burnham interview

'It's a genie out of the bottle moment'
Leveson: What we've learnt so far

Leveson: What we've learnt so far

Ingenious hacks, shifty editors and attacks of Sudden Memory Loss Syndrome – Matthew Bell assesses the state of play at the Royal Courts of Justice
Modern lovers: The 'sexual body warriors' and pioneers transforming 21st-century relationships

Modern lovers: The 'sexual body warriors'

Sarah Morrison meets the people redefining love in the 21st century.
'I was angry, so angry': How heartbreak, betrayal and Su Pollard helped Estelle find pop success

Estelle: 'I was angry, so angry'

The singer talks about heartache, betrayal and bouncing back.