Police launch investigation into historical allegations of sex abuse at Princess Diana’s brother’s old school
POLICE have launched an investigation into historical allegations of sex abuse at Earl Spencer’s old school.
They said they had conducted preliminary inquiries into allegations dating back to the 1970s.
It came after the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, claimed in his memoir that sexual assaults and beatings at Maidwell Hall, which he attended from the age of eight, still haunted him.
In a statement after the publication of the book in March, Maidwell Hall School said: “It has been very sobering to read about the experiences the young Charles Spencer, and some of his contemporaries, had at the school, and we are sorry that this was their experience.
“It is difficult to read about practices which were, sadly, sometimes believed to be normal and acceptable at that time.
“We were also dismayed to read about the allegations of the abuse Charles Spencer suffered.
“Having been alerted to what took place, we immediately made a referral to the Lado (local authority designated officer), to ensure that any disclosures are handled sensitively, expediently and professionally.”
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “We are in the early stages of investigating a number of non-recent allegations of sexual abuse at Maidwell Hall School.
“Northamptonshire Police takes all allegations of abuse very seriously and where reports are made to us, we will pursue all available lines of inquiry to help bring perpetrators to justice.
“We encourage anyone who has suffered abuse to contact us.”