Richard Hope-Hawkins was just a young teenager when he was cruelly deprived of his innocence.

Now 44, and a successful writer and director, Richard is still haunted by his horrific boyhood experiences.

Simple things, like the smell of Stone's ginger wine or the sight of an old brown coat, can bring it all flooding back.

And even the most beautiful starry night can be just too much for Richard, of Clifton, Bristol, to handle.

They all remind him of the night in 1962 when his trusted schoolteacher climbed into his sleeping bag and raped him.

Richard was adopted from an orphanage in Bristol by a wealthy couple who sent him to a private school in the city where a young teacher befriended him.

The teacher, who is now dead, used to send the boys on secret missions to buy ginger wine and treated them to meals out. But he was grooming them for abuse.

The first attack happened on a camping trip. Richard said: "I fell asleep, on my front as usual, and woke to find him inside my sleeping bag, on top of me, stinking of ginger wine."

But he told no one and the abuse continued until he finally left the school which is now closed.

Three years ago, at the age of 41, Richard spoke out about his abuse - his only regret is it was too late to bring the teacher to justice.

He believes if telling his story helps one victim then it has been worth it.

He said: "Children are not doing anything wrong, it is the person who is doing it who is doing the wrong

Used courtesy of the Western Daily Press

See also

The silence of the suffering