It is alleged Ian Farquharson abused the boy whilst working as a teacher at the North Wales camp
A man claims he was abused by a former teacher during a trip to Colomendy in the 1960s. Lawyers say Ian Farquharson, who died in 1992, was a teacher at the residential centre in Loggerheads, near Mold, which at the time was managed by Liverpool City Council.
Farquharson taught at Formby High School between 1975 and May 1992. In 1980, he was cleared of inciting young boys to commit acts of gross indecency. He claimed the boys had “tried to get him into trouble” after he had to “discipline” them in the past and, at the time of his acquittal, said he was glad his “ordeal” was over.
He continued to teach at Formby High School for another twelve years and went on to become the head of the lower school. But in 1992 he was subject to a new complaint from the mum of a child about alleged sexual abuse.
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According to subsequent inquest reports, Farquharson was “summoned to the head teacher’s office” to discuss the allegation. Immediately after, he briefly returned to his home address before driving to an isolated spot near Mold, in North Wales, where he took his own life.
In 2021, six people came forward after seeing a video on Facebook. By 2022, 41 ex-Formby High School had come forward claiming they were abused by Farquharson and this has subsequently increased to 66.
These 66 people are bringing a civil case against Sefton Council after claims they suffered years of child abuse at the hands of Farquharson during his time as a teacher at the school. The local authority said it cannot comment on the case while proceedings are ongoing.
Andrew Grove and Company Solicitors is acting on behalf of the man who claims he was sexually assaulted by Farquharson at Colomendy. The law firm is also representing the former Formby High School pupils who claim they were abused in the 1970s and early 1990s.
Solicitor Katherine Yates said the man, who claims to have been sexually abused during the mid-1960s, contacted the firm after the ECHO published a photograph of Farquharson in July. Colomendy was originally built as a wartime evacuation facility before being transferred to Liverpool City Council in 1957 and turned into a boarding school and outdoor residential centre.
Before this allegation, Farquharson’s tenure at Colomendy’s school was unknown. But Ms Yates and her team said they have discovered a document which indicates he worked there before joining Formby High School. A marriage certificate for Farquharson dated August 16, 1969, shows he was married within the Liverpool South registration area aged 28, his address is ‘Colomendy School, Loggerheads, Mold’ and his profession is ‘school teacher’.
Ms Yates said: “We have evidence that Farquharson lived at the school because we have a copy of his marriage certificate which states he was a teacher there and gives Colomendy Activity Centre as his residential address (then Colomendy School).
“Our client has carried the burden of what happened to him for many years, and we believe there may be many more people carrying the same weight on their shoulders.”
Anyone with any information can speak to solicitors Katherine Yates or Charlotte Denley by calling 01223 367133 or emailing [email protected] or [email protected]
