Abused By The Same Teacher

Kate Taylor, 37, was haunted by what had happened to her. Then she made another terrible discovery...

- Sarah Holmes & Courtney Greatrex

Most people have fond memories of their primary school days, but for me it all seems like a horrible nightmare. Even now when I close my eyes I can still feel the touch of a strange hand creeping up my thigh…

I was just five years old when I joined Gerard Kelly’s class in September 1985. I was a shy little girl, but Mr Kelly, then 28, was always very attentive. During break times, he’d ask me to stay behind to stack books or tidy up toys. But as soon as we were alone, he’d pull me on to his lap. Then, grabbing my hand, he’d force it down his trousers. Other times, he’d put his hand up my skirt. I didn’t understand what was happening. But, confused and scared, when he told me not to tell anyone, I promised I wouldn’t.

Buried memories

The abuse only stopped when, a year later, I moved to a different class. I wanted to forget it had ever happened so I buried the memories deep, deep down. But, when I was 16 I started having violent seizures. Psychologists thought it had something to do with my past, but I’d locked the abuse so far away that it wasn’t until my friend called me a year later to say that one of our old teachers – Kelly – was being investigated for sexual assault that I felt a switch flick in my mind. Suddenly, I started to get painful flashbacks of what had happened.