Kesgrave: Police review child abuse claims

SUFFOLK police are reviewing a 20-year-old investigation into child abuse claims by several former pupils of Kesgrave Hall boarding school, near Ipswich.

The decision comes after ten ex-students came forward and alleged they were abused by members of staff at the school during the 1980s.

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dan Poulter is pushing Suffolk police to reopen their 1992 investigation after he expressed extreme concerns about the allegations.

During the original inquiry, detectives interviewed around 30 Kesgrave Hall pupils during a joint investigation with Suffolk social services. The investigation lasted several months, although no charges were brought at that time.

The Suffolk force has now confirmed it could reopen the investigation and is asking any victims of abuse to get in touch with police.

A spokesman said: “Suffolk police has retrieved papers from our storage facility in relation to an investigation carried out in 1992 in relation to complaints of abuse at Kesgrave Hall boarding school and we are at an early stage of reviewing the information.

“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of abuse to contact police and would like to reassure them that their complaints will be taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly.”

There are now growing calls for the Government to open a UK-wide public inquiry into claims of child abuse at care institutions.