GEORGE CARROLL'S SHOCKING ABUSE IN BOURNEMOUTH AND CUMBRIA REVEALED
In a disturbing case that has resurfaced decades after the alleged crimes, George Carroll, an 85-year-old former teacher from Bournemouth, has been sentenced to two years in prison for multiple counts of indecent assault against three young boys.The offences, which occurred during the 1960s and 1970s, were committed while Carroll was employed at Cartmel School and Sedburgh County Secondary School, formerly known as Settlebeck School.
Carroll appeared at Furness and District Magistrates’ Court on March 6, 2019, where he admitted to nine counts of indecent assault.
The case was subsequently brought before Preston Crown Court, which handed down the sentence on April 18, 2019.
The investigation into these historical allegations was part of Cumbria Constabulary’s Operation Tweed, a dedicated effort to uncover and address non-recent abuse at residential schools across south Cumbria.
According to court proceedings, three victims came forward to report their experiences of abuse by Carroll.
The first victim, who was a pupil at Cartmel School in the early 1960s, recounted that Carroll was a physical education teacher at the time.
The victim described how Carroll had invited him into the shower block on one occasion, where he was indecently assaulted.
On another occasion, while the boy was playing football, Carroll approached him and instructed him to go to the store room, where he was again subjected to indecent acts.
The victim also reported a camping trip to Eskdale, during which Carroll would walk around naked and had forced him into Carroll’s tent, where the assault occurred.
The second victim, a pupil at Settlebeck School in the late 1960s and early 1970s, detailed how Carroll had touched and grabbed him on multiple occasions when he was approximately 14 or 15 years old.
The boy also described being asked to blow up footballs in the store room before being assaulted.
The third victim, who attended the same school around the same time, reported similar incidents, including being indecently assaulted while blowing up footballs and being groped in the showers by Carroll.
During police interviews, Carroll acknowledged that he could not remember all the specific incidents but admitted to engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior with male pupils during his teaching career.
When confronted with particular allegations, he recalled touching the penis of one of the Cartmel School victims and admitted to touching a boy at Sedbergh at the swimming pool.
Carroll also responded to questions about groping boys while they were blowing up footballs, stating, “That would happen, yeah,” indicating his awareness of his inappropriate conduct.
This case highlights the long-lasting impact of abuse and the importance of justice for victims, even many years after the crimes occurred.
Carroll’s actions, which took place in Bournemouth and across Cumbria, have now been formally recognized and addressed through the judicial process, bringing some measure of accountability for the victims involved.
