Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry: Boys raped by priests at 'satanic parties'
A child abuse inquiry witness has told how he was raped by priests during "satanic" drink-fuelled sex parties. Dave Sharp also described a catalogue of sexual, physical and emotional violence at St Ninian's in Falkland, Fife, between 1971 and 1975.
Mr Sharp, from Glasgow, said the abuse had left him with "lifelong trauma".
The independent Scottish Child Abuse inquiry is looking in detail at historical abuse of children in residential care.
Mr Sharp urged inquiry chairwoman Lady Smith, to piece together the "jigsaw" of victims' accounts and called for a "national discussion" on the subject.
The 60-year-old, who has waived his right to anonymity, was put into care after his mother died when he was aged one.
Tied up
He stayed in several institutions before going to the Catholic-run care home in Fife.
He told how he was groomed by one of the religious brothers, who would tell him he loved him, which "no-one had ever done" before.
The inquiry heard the then-12-year-old was later raped.
Most of the abuse was said to have taken place in the shower rooms, where the witness would be made to stand in the dark through the night as a punishment.
One attack came after he had asked about the whereabouts of a friend who had disappeared. It was later discovered the boy had taken his own life.
Mr Sharp said he was taken to the show...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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