‘I hid scissors under pillow at horror school – kids were for teachers’ sick sex games’ | UK | News

Zee Weston was sent to a radical school for children in care, hoping for a fresh start that would change his life. However, the four-year nightmare he experienced there still haunts him three decades later.

Tears well up in Zee’s eyes as he recounts his ordeal at The Red House, a children’s home in Buxton, Norfolk, where he resided from 1994 to 1998. He is among 43 individuals suing Norfolk County Council over allegations of physical, psychological and sexual abuse they claim to have suffered at the institution.

He reveals: “I used to sleep with scissors under my pillow. The abuse I suffered at Red House haunts me to this day.”

Zee has chosen to waive his right to anonymity, believing it crucial that his story is heard. “I ran away many times but I was always forced to go back,” he adds.

His mother’s mental health issues led to him being taken into care. Born a girl named Zara, he was sent to The Red House at age 12, reports the Mirror. He transitioned to become Zee in his late 30s.

Now 43, Zee recalls: “I thought it was a weird place when I visited, but I was told, ‘This is the only place where you’re going to get an education’. I was acting up and was told it was either there or I’d end up in prison.”

Hundreds of disadvantaged children were sent to The Red House during the 1980s and 90s. The school pledged to get them back on track through strict rules, tough physical work, and the opportunity to participate in overseas charity work.

It was one of two schools operated in the UK by the Tvind School Cooperative, a controversial radical group established in Denmark in the 1960s. The other was The Small School, located in East Yorkshire. Local authorities were charged up to £4,000 a month per child.

The group has been mired in financial scandals since the 1990s, facing allegations over its tax affairs and millions of pounds of charity funds. The Red House is the only one of its schools currently facing child abuse allegations.

Zee alleges that he would often wake up to the sound of children screaming in torment – and claims teachers made older students beat him up on his second night. He also alleges that while at the school, he was strangled by another student, had his arm slammed in a window by a teacher, and was sexually abused by a teacher.

Zee isn’t alone in his harrowing experiences. John, a 50 year old from Seaford in East Sussex [not his real name], also recounts the rampant abuse during his stay at the institution from 1990 to 1993, describing the children as “toys for the teachers to play sick games with”.

John recalls: “I was 15 when I went there. The first day I was made to walk around in underwear as I’d turned up in streetwear and they said that my clothes weren’t respectful. When a teacher flashed at me, I threatened to tell my social worker. He said they wouldn’t believe a troubled kid like me. On two other occasions when teachers tried it on with me, reports were made to the police – but nothing ever came of it. I have anxiety and I’ve been diagnosed with parasomnia, as I wake up in random places. All this from being in care and living at The Red House. You never get rid of the baggage.”

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the home took in hundreds of children. In a shocking revelation, claims of abuse and exploitation emerged as early as 1988, before either John or Zee were placed there.

The establishment was eventually shut down in 1998. Lawyers representing former residents are appalled that no one intervened to halt the “unimaginable abuse, torture and neglect”.

Daniel Cooper of Imran Khan and Partners expressed horror at the extent of the maltreatment: “The abuse of children was horrific and life-changing. [It] was known to those who were responsible for the children’s welfare. But for the courage of those who have now spoken out, it would never have been known to the wider public.”

Zee, of Shepherd’s Bush, West London, has demanded accountability and an apology for his alleged abuse. He recalls: “As long as we were contained it didn’t matter. The people who were involved in that need to be held accountable. I want an apology.”

He also shared his disturbing experience with a teacher, saying: “She seemed approachable and nurturing at first. “One evening she invited me to her flat, where she said I could smoke, and we became sexual from there. It happened almost every day for around a year. At the time, I thought she loved me. It was only when I grew older I realised it was wrong.”

Despite reporting the incident a decade later, it was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. In 1990, the Social Services Inspectorate cautioned local authorities against sending children to The Red House, citing allegations of sexual impropriety, physical abuse by teachers, and a rape committed by three male students.

A 1994 inspection report from Norfolk County Council revealed suspicions of abuse involving 20 victims. Despite these warnings, hundreds more students were sent to live at The Red House before its eventual closure.

Norfolk County Council said: “The allegations made by former pupils of The Red House are deeply concerning and we have co-operated fully with investigations.

“The claims received by us to date relate to 14 children placed there by other local authorities. Our thoughts are with all survivors of abuse but as there is an ongoing legal claim we cannot comment further at this time.”

Dr Raymond Stevenson from charity Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, assisting the victims, expressed alarm over Norfolk Council’s lack of action, stating: “The concerning thing was the lack of response from Norfolk Council. They were aware of the abuse. They carried out inspections on the home and ignored the obvious signs of a cult operating in their county.”