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| College abuse claim to be heard | College abuse claim to be heard |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| A former City lawyer has won the right to bring a £5m damages action against a Jesuit-run school over alleged sexual abuse as a child. | A former City lawyer has won the right to bring a £5m damages action against a Jesuit-run school over alleged sexual abuse as a child. |
| Patrick Raggett, 50, was allegedly abused at Preston Catholic College in the 1970s, the High Court heard. | Patrick Raggett, 50, was allegedly abused at Preston Catholic College in the 1970s, the High Court heard. |
| He said this led him to suffer a breakdown, a failed marriage and problems with binge drinking. | He said this led him to suffer a breakdown, a failed marriage and problems with binge drinking. |
| The college governors have said that even if abuse occurred, the case was brought outside the legal time limit. | The college governors have said that even if abuse occurred, the case was brought outside the legal time limit. |
| But Mrs Justice Swift ruled in Mr Raggett's favour that the claim could proceed despite being brought outside the time limit. | But Mrs Justice Swift ruled in Mr Raggett's favour that the claim could proceed despite being brought outside the time limit. |
| This is thought to be the first case of its kind against the Jesuit order in the UK. | |
| 'Insidious abuse' | 'Insidious abuse' |
| Mr Raggett was subjected to years of "insidious" abuse at the college by the late Father Michael Spencer, his counsel Robert Seabrook QC told the court. | Mr Raggett was subjected to years of "insidious" abuse at the college by the late Father Michael Spencer, his counsel Robert Seabrook QC told the court. |
| The priest allegedly measured the schoolboy "to chart his growth" while he was naked at the school, which closed in 1978. | |
| He also filmed the schoolboy performing exercises, photographed him and touched him inappropriately, the court heard. | |
| Mr Raggett alleged that he was sometimes abused several times a week over a period of about four years at the school, which he attended from 1969 to 1976. | |
| He said he knew he was making a mess of his life but did not connect his experiences at school with years of under-achievement at work, failed marriage and binge drinking, until he had a breakdown in April 2005. | |
| "My employment record is so far away from what it should have been - that causes me a huge amount of anguish," he told the court. | "My employment record is so far away from what it should have been - that causes me a huge amount of anguish," he told the court. |
| 'Wholly untenable' | |
| The college's counsel, Kate Thirlwall QC, said that if Mr Raggett had been abused, he would have known it was "significant" by the time he was 18. | The college's counsel, Kate Thirlwall QC, said that if Mr Raggett had been abused, he would have known it was "significant" by the time he was 18. |
| "We say it is wholly untenable for the claimant to say that he did not consider he had been sexually abused," she said. | "We say it is wholly untenable for the claimant to say that he did not consider he had been sexually abused," she said. |
| However the judge said she was satisfied that a fair trial would be possible and that the action should proceed. | |
| She said the issues of liability, causation and any damages would be decided at a later date. |