PETER BURR SHOCKS HORSHAM AND KINGSWARE WITH HISTORIC INDECENT ASSAULTS ON BOYS
| Red Rose Database
Horsham Kingsware Sexual Abuser
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Horsham and Kingsware, Peter Burr, a 73-year-old man residing at The Square in Kingsware, Devon, has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in historic indecent assaults against four young boys. The sentencing took place at Hove Crown Court on Friday, January 5, following a lengthy investigation into allegations that spanned over many years.
Peter Burr, who previously worked as a house tutor and physics teacher at Christ’s Hospital School near Horsham, pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault committed against the four victims. His guilty plea came after a period of legal proceedings, during which the court heard detailed accounts from the victims about the abuse they endured during their childhoods.
This case marks the second time in as many months that a former teacher from Christ’s Hospital School has been convicted and sentenced for similar offences. The first, Peter Webb, was sentenced to four years in prison on December 15 for separate incidents of historic indecent assault. The recurrence of these cases has brought renewed focus on safeguarding and the protection of vulnerable children within educational institutions.
During the court hearing, victim impact statements from three of Burr’s victims were read aloud, revealing the profound and lasting effects of the abuse. The first victim recounted his failed attempts to report Burr to the police as early as 2000, which he said were met with resistance and dismissal. It was only after reaching out to BBC Radio London in December 2016, following a programme about sexual abuse in football, that the BBC passed his information to the police, leading to Burr’s arrest in 2017.
The victim expressed deep emotional scars, stating, “Ever since Mr Burr’s abuse, I have struggled with relationships in adult life. I have learnt to not be open and trusting, which has made it difficult to find a woman. The abuse I have suffered has left a strain on me because I have put up certain emotional barriers. It has led to two failed marriages and the end of another four-year relationship. Revisiting these times has been a horrible experience, and no one should have to do it.”
The second victim explained that he decided to come forward after learning about the investigation into Burr, although he claimed to have experienced ‘no trauma’ from the abuse. He stated, “I realised that not only was my friend being investigated, but I was a victim. No trauma has been caused. It has probably been the reverse, but I wanted to contribute fully to the investigation.”
The third victim described feeling ‘totally innocent’ at the time of the abuse and shared how the experience has affected his later life. “I believe what happened has both affected and influenced my ability to form relationships with either men or women since the offending took place. The damage to me is not what happened but what it has made me do. I have gone out of my way to defend others, but I still cannot defend myself.”
Judge Christine Henson QC, presiding over the case, expressed her concern that Burr remains a danger to young boys. She emphasized the devastating impact of his actions, stating, “Mr Burr, I have heard statements from three victims and have seen the devastating impact your abusing has had on their adult lives. Their lives will be affected forever. Their childhoods were ruined by your sexually predatory behaviour.”
As a result, Burr was sentenced to four years in prison, with a minimum of two years to be served behind bars and the remaining two years on licence. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed to restrict his future activities. The court also left open the possibility of further charges, as four additional allegations of indecent assault, which Burr denies, remain on court record and are yet to be resolved.
Peter Burr, who previously worked as a house tutor and physics teacher at Christ’s Hospital School near Horsham, pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault committed against the four victims. His guilty plea came after a period of legal proceedings, during which the court heard detailed accounts from the victims about the abuse they endured during their childhoods.
This case marks the second time in as many months that a former teacher from Christ’s Hospital School has been convicted and sentenced for similar offences. The first, Peter Webb, was sentenced to four years in prison on December 15 for separate incidents of historic indecent assault. The recurrence of these cases has brought renewed focus on safeguarding and the protection of vulnerable children within educational institutions.
During the court hearing, victim impact statements from three of Burr’s victims were read aloud, revealing the profound and lasting effects of the abuse. The first victim recounted his failed attempts to report Burr to the police as early as 2000, which he said were met with resistance and dismissal. It was only after reaching out to BBC Radio London in December 2016, following a programme about sexual abuse in football, that the BBC passed his information to the police, leading to Burr’s arrest in 2017.
The victim expressed deep emotional scars, stating, “Ever since Mr Burr’s abuse, I have struggled with relationships in adult life. I have learnt to not be open and trusting, which has made it difficult to find a woman. The abuse I have suffered has left a strain on me because I have put up certain emotional barriers. It has led to two failed marriages and the end of another four-year relationship. Revisiting these times has been a horrible experience, and no one should have to do it.”
The second victim explained that he decided to come forward after learning about the investigation into Burr, although he claimed to have experienced ‘no trauma’ from the abuse. He stated, “I realised that not only was my friend being investigated, but I was a victim. No trauma has been caused. It has probably been the reverse, but I wanted to contribute fully to the investigation.”
The third victim described feeling ‘totally innocent’ at the time of the abuse and shared how the experience has affected his later life. “I believe what happened has both affected and influenced my ability to form relationships with either men or women since the offending took place. The damage to me is not what happened but what it has made me do. I have gone out of my way to defend others, but I still cannot defend myself.”
Judge Christine Henson QC, presiding over the case, expressed her concern that Burr remains a danger to young boys. She emphasized the devastating impact of his actions, stating, “Mr Burr, I have heard statements from three victims and have seen the devastating impact your abusing has had on their adult lives. Their lives will be affected forever. Their childhoods were ruined by your sexually predatory behaviour.”
As a result, Burr was sentenced to four years in prison, with a minimum of two years to be served behind bars and the remaining two years on licence. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed to restrict his future activities. The court also left open the possibility of further charges, as four additional allegations of indecent assault, which Burr denies, remain on court record and are yet to be resolved.