BBC seeking former residents of home at centre of 70s scandal

By lee wagstaff newsdesk@thepostandtimes.co.uk

THE harrowing tale of a controversial Rocester children's care home – which saw youngsters routinely abused by staff – will be featured in a documentary.

The BBC is appealing for people who were in Riverside Children's Home during the 1970s to come forward and discuss their experiences.

The documentary is aimed at highlighting the changes in children's residential care and producers are keen to include Riverside, which was closed down by Staffordshire County Council in 1989.

Staffordshire Police launched an investigation into the council-run home in 1999 after two women came forward to say they had suffered physical and sexual abuse by some members of staff at the home when they were just 14 and 15.

More than 80 former residents of the home subsequently contacted officers and a flurry of complaints led to a catalogue of serious charges being brought against former members of staff.

Designated members of staff were allowed to give corporal punishment to children at homes in the 1980s but it had to be within strict guidelines.

Caning was to be limited to six strokes.

Robert Bowker was a resident of the children's home between 1977 and 1982.

He claims that despite being in daily contact with many of those prosecuted for sexual assault, he was oblivious to what was happening at the time.

The 43-year-old said: "My memories of the place are a bit confusing, to be honest. I never experienced any form of abuse myself but obviously it was going on.

"I never knew until a police officer knocked on my door a number of years ago and asked me about my experiences. I hadn't got a clue what she was talking about.

"Although I had a nice time while I was there, in hindsight it angers me that the authorities saw fit to take me away from my mum and dad and put me into a home where I was in real danger of being abused."

Mr Bowker, who lives in Tamworth, is now a foster carer for Staffordshire County Council and he hopes the documentary will go some way to show the improvements made to the system.

He added: "I was sent to Riverside because I bunked off school, but my mum died when I was just 19, which made me really resentful of the fact I had spent so long in the home.

"The BBC have been in contact with myself and I have told them of my experiences. I hope the programme highlights how things were then and how they are 30 years later.

"These types of things should never have happened and it is important they never happen again."

Rocester Village Hall chairman Bill Tranter, of Eaton Road, remembers when the care home was fully operational and says a documentary would be interesting.

The 74-year-old said: "It was an awful long time ago now and a lot of the people in charge will be dead by now, I would imagine.

"I remember Riverside as an overspill of Werrington 'naughty boys school' and a lot of the youngsters would come into the village and help out with little jobs here and there.

"I did hear of the abuse, which was very shocking, but I don't think all of the staff were like that.

"While there were obviously a few staff that abused their powers, some of the blokes I knew were good people and hopefully, the documentary might show this.

"In general, I think these sort of institutions were a good idea and it is a shame that a lot closed down, but it is unsurprising when you hear the terrible stories of abuse going on."

Rocester Parish Council clerk Sharon Farnell confirmed that the BBC had approached the council in an attempt to find case studies.

She said: "I couldn't really comment on the care home because it closed more than 20 years ago and I haven't been in the village very long.

"The BBC have been in touch with us but we don't know anyone that might be of use to them from the village, it was such a long time ago."

Despite Riverside's reputation, the BBC claims the documentary is not aimed at focusing on abuse in care homes.

A spokesman said: "We have advertised all over the country for people to come forward and discuss their experiences at residential care homes in the 1970s anonymously. The documentary is centred around the level of changes in care homes and will not be specifically focused on highlighting cases of abuse."