JAMES MCCANN FROM SWAFFHAM AND SHEFFORD EXPOSED AS ABUSER AT ST FRANCIS BOYS’ HOME

In a significant and disturbing case brought before the Old Bailey, it has been established that James McCann, an 80-year-old man from Swaffham, Norfolk, was responsible for the sexual and physical abuse of a total of 25 boys during his time working at St Francis Boys’ Home in Shefford during the 1960s. The court proceedings revealed a harrowing history of abuse committed by McCann, who was deemed unfit to stand trial in person, leading to a trial of facts being conducted in his absence. Out of 50 charges brought against him, the jury found 42 to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

James McCann had joined the staff of the boys’ home in Shefford in 1965, at the age of 29, and remained employed there until the facility’s closure in 1974. The majority of his victims were young boys aged between eight and twelve at the time of the abuse, which spanned nearly a decade. The court detailed the nature of McCann’s physical abuse, which included a brutal method known as ‘clapping’—a form of assault where he would strike the flat of his hands over each victim’s ears simultaneously. Victims reported experiencing intense pain, nausea, dizziness, disorientation, and even long-term damage to their hearing as a result of these assaults. Evidence also showed that McCann used weapons such as belts and sticks to physically punish the boys, inflicting injuries that left lasting scars.

In addition to physical abuse, the court heard that McCann was responsible for numerous indecent assaults. Nineteen victims accused him of physical violence, while two alleged both sexual and physical abuse. Four boys reported suffering solely sexual abuse at his hands. The severity of the abuse was compounded by the fact that three of McCann’s victims were also subjected to abuse by John Cahill, a man from Bedford who was convicted in April for indecently assaulting four boys at the same home during the 1960s. Cahill, who was volunteering as a scout leader at the time, ran a weekly group at St Francis Boys’ Home and began sexually assaulting some of the boys. One victim reported the abuse to the home’s management, leading Cahill to leave shortly afterward, but these allegations were not reported to the police at that time.

John Cahill admitted to six counts of indecent assault involving boys aged between 10 and 16. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Due to reporting restrictions, further details about Cahill’s case could not be disclosed until the conclusion of McCann’s trial. The investigation into these historic abuses was launched by Beds police in 2013 after one of the victims came forward, prompting a comprehensive inquiry into the events at St Francis Boys’ Home.

Senior investigating officer Mark Ross expressed his condemnation of the offenders’ actions, stating, “McCann and Cahill were incredibly cruel, abusing the very children they had a duty of care to protect and look after. This has been a lengthy investigation which was extremely complex given the time that had elapsed since the offending and the sheer number of victims affected. Those victims have shown tremendous bravery in coming forward and I am delighted they finally have justice. Every victim has had at least one proven outcome and for them to have been ‘believed’ will hopefully give them some closure.”

He further emphasized that there is no justification for such abuse, whether sexual or physical, and assured that law enforcement agencies will continue to investigate all allegations thoroughly. The case also serves as a warning to potential offenders that they cannot escape justice, regardless of how much time has passed. As part of the ongoing investigation, a total of 103 crime reports have been finalized against deceased suspects associated with the case. Senior officer Ross concluded that if the 13 suspects who have had allegations made against them were still alive, they would have been interviewed and their cases forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service for potential charges. These suspects include seven men and six women, holding various roles within the home, including religious figures, a teacher, a choirmaster, and a handyman, all implicated in the abuse that took place at St Francis Boys’ Home in Shefford.