VICTIM BREAKS 20-YEAR SILENCE OVER SEX ABUSE AT MANCHESTER CHILDREN'S HOMES INVOLVING RONALD HALL AND PHILIP ROE
| Red Rose Database
year silence over sex abuse only to be told he’d imagined it Sexual Abuser
In March 2014, a man who endured decades of sexual abuse as a child finally decided to break his silence, revealing the harrowing details of his traumatic experiences at the hands of staff members within Manchester's notorious children's homes. The survivor, Simon Whitter, now 40 years old, recounted how he was forcibly removed from his violent household at the age of 12 by social services and placed in Burton House, a government-operated children's home in Manchester, in 1986. It was within this institution that he was subjected to ritualistic sexual abuse, a dark chapter in the home's history that has only recently come to light.
Despite the passage of time, Simon's courage in speaking out was met with disbelief and outright denial by Manchester City Council. When he reported his abuse in 2012, the authorities claimed that Burton House had never existed, asserting that vital documents had gone missing and that there was no record of his residence there. This attempt to erase his history was a devastating blow, but after persistent efforts, the council eventually admitted their mistake and allowed him to pursue compensation for the suffering he endured.
Simon’s story is emblematic of the struggles faced by over 400 victims of abuse in Manchester’s children’s homes. These cases have been part of a long-standing battle for justice, with many victims facing significant hurdles in their pursuit of recognition and recompense. Recently, a High Court ruling mandated that all remaining victims must come forward within the next seven weeks, or risk losing their chance to claim compensation. This decision has added urgency to the ongoing fight for justice.
In a bid to encourage others to come forward, Simon, along with fellow survivor Paul Tyler, aged 49, returned to the sites of their childhood trauma—Rose Hill in Northenden, Broome House in Didsbury, and Mobberley Boys in Knutsford. Simon expressed his frustration at the time limits imposed on victims, stating, “It took me over 20 years before I was ready to speak out and then they tried to silence me. Putting a time limit on when victims can come forward is just disgusting. What if they’re not ready? You could have put a gun to my head and I wouldn’t have spoken five years ago.”
Allegations of child abuse primarily focus on three Manchester City Council-run homes: Rose Hill in Northenden, Broome House in Didsbury, and Mobberley Boys in Knutsford. Since 1997, over £2 million has been settled in 275 cases through legal representation by Abney Garsden Solicitors. Several individuals involved in the abuse have been jailed for their crimes, including Ronald Hall, a former warden at Broome House and assistant director of Manchester social services. Hall was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted on 21 counts of sexual and physical abuse of children at Broome House.
During his trial, it was revealed that Hall, who had moved to Northumberland before his conviction, had molested children in various locations, including his car, his private residences, during holidays, and even in a Manchester theatre. At the time of his arrest, Hall held a prominent position within Manchester City Council’s social services department, which underscored the extent of institutional failure to protect vulnerable children.
Another social services colleague, Ian Gray, was also convicted and sentenced to 14 years for 23 similar offences. Simon Whitter recounted that he was forced to perform sex acts starting at age 12, with the trauma leading him down a destructive path that culminated in a six-month prison sentence for alcohol-related offences. “I had been forced to do things no child should endure and I know so many other people have been through the same thing,” he said. “The City Council just want to stop them coming forward to save money. It’s disgusting.”
Paul Tyler, another survivor, shared his own painful memories of Rose Hill. He recalled how a fellow boy in the same bunk told him to obey the staff, warning that he would be safe if he did. Paul admitted that he did not understand what was meant at the time but soon realized the full extent of the abuse. “It has affected my whole life. I can’t get rid of the memories,” he said.
Manchester City Council issued a brief statement, indicating that ongoing litigation precluded them from commenting further on these cases. Meanwhile, in 2004, Philip Roe was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison for 15 sexual abuse offences committed while working in Manchester’s social services during the 1980s. Roe, who was working as a social worker in Essex at the time of his arrest, had previously been involved in care work in London after leaving Manchester. His victims ranged in age from five to 16, and evidence included a photograph of a naked 14-year-old wearing only a baseball cap, published in a gay contact magazine. Prosecutor Maurice Greene emphasized that Roe preyed on vulnerable children, exploiting their trust and innocence, with many too young to understand or resist what was happening to them. Roe’s arrest was part of Operation Cleopatra, a police investigation targeting abuse within care services.
Despite the passage of time, Simon's courage in speaking out was met with disbelief and outright denial by Manchester City Council. When he reported his abuse in 2012, the authorities claimed that Burton House had never existed, asserting that vital documents had gone missing and that there was no record of his residence there. This attempt to erase his history was a devastating blow, but after persistent efforts, the council eventually admitted their mistake and allowed him to pursue compensation for the suffering he endured.
Simon’s story is emblematic of the struggles faced by over 400 victims of abuse in Manchester’s children’s homes. These cases have been part of a long-standing battle for justice, with many victims facing significant hurdles in their pursuit of recognition and recompense. Recently, a High Court ruling mandated that all remaining victims must come forward within the next seven weeks, or risk losing their chance to claim compensation. This decision has added urgency to the ongoing fight for justice.
In a bid to encourage others to come forward, Simon, along with fellow survivor Paul Tyler, aged 49, returned to the sites of their childhood trauma—Rose Hill in Northenden, Broome House in Didsbury, and Mobberley Boys in Knutsford. Simon expressed his frustration at the time limits imposed on victims, stating, “It took me over 20 years before I was ready to speak out and then they tried to silence me. Putting a time limit on when victims can come forward is just disgusting. What if they’re not ready? You could have put a gun to my head and I wouldn’t have spoken five years ago.”
Allegations of child abuse primarily focus on three Manchester City Council-run homes: Rose Hill in Northenden, Broome House in Didsbury, and Mobberley Boys in Knutsford. Since 1997, over £2 million has been settled in 275 cases through legal representation by Abney Garsden Solicitors. Several individuals involved in the abuse have been jailed for their crimes, including Ronald Hall, a former warden at Broome House and assistant director of Manchester social services. Hall was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted on 21 counts of sexual and physical abuse of children at Broome House.
During his trial, it was revealed that Hall, who had moved to Northumberland before his conviction, had molested children in various locations, including his car, his private residences, during holidays, and even in a Manchester theatre. At the time of his arrest, Hall held a prominent position within Manchester City Council’s social services department, which underscored the extent of institutional failure to protect vulnerable children.
Another social services colleague, Ian Gray, was also convicted and sentenced to 14 years for 23 similar offences. Simon Whitter recounted that he was forced to perform sex acts starting at age 12, with the trauma leading him down a destructive path that culminated in a six-month prison sentence for alcohol-related offences. “I had been forced to do things no child should endure and I know so many other people have been through the same thing,” he said. “The City Council just want to stop them coming forward to save money. It’s disgusting.”
Paul Tyler, another survivor, shared his own painful memories of Rose Hill. He recalled how a fellow boy in the same bunk told him to obey the staff, warning that he would be safe if he did. Paul admitted that he did not understand what was meant at the time but soon realized the full extent of the abuse. “It has affected my whole life. I can’t get rid of the memories,” he said.
Manchester City Council issued a brief statement, indicating that ongoing litigation precluded them from commenting further on these cases. Meanwhile, in 2004, Philip Roe was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison for 15 sexual abuse offences committed while working in Manchester’s social services during the 1980s. Roe, who was working as a social worker in Essex at the time of his arrest, had previously been involved in care work in London after leaving Manchester. His victims ranged in age from five to 16, and evidence included a photograph of a naked 14-year-old wearing only a baseball cap, published in a gay contact magazine. Prosecutor Maurice Greene emphasized that Roe preyed on vulnerable children, exploiting their trust and innocence, with many too young to understand or resist what was happening to them. Roe’s arrest was part of Operation Cleopatra, a police investigation targeting abuse within care services.