Mike Harding among 57 former pupils who reported abuse by rector at St Bede's College
The Bishop of Salford has apologised and expressed sorrow to former students at a leading Manchester Catholic school who were abused by a priest.
At least 57 former pupils of the independent St Bede's college in Whalley Range have reported abuse by Monsignor Thomas Duggan, who died 43 years ago. The school, which became independent of the Salford diocese in the mid-1970s, has a distinguished reputation for academic results.
The allegations are being investigated by the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission.
Salford's bishop, the Right Rev Terence Brain, said he was "deeply sorry for the pain and distress reported".
The allegations include reports that Duggan ordered boys to strip before caning them and inappropriately touching them at the school in the 1950s and 60s. Duggan was the school's rector, a position senior to the headmaster, and was responsible for setting the curriculum and discipline.
Brain said: "I am shocked and saddened by the complaints from some former pupils of St Bede's college which have been brought to the attention of our safeguarding commission. The complaints have been made against the late Monsignor Thomas Duggan and relate to the period of time from the 1950s to the mid-1960s, when St Bede's was a diocesan school.
"Although it is not suggested that there was a culture of institutional abuse at St Bede's, nevertheless the abusive behaviour which has been reported has no place within the Catholic church. I acknowledge and am deeply sorry for the pain and distress reported to have been suffered by those affected."
The comedian and folk musician Mike Harding, a former student at St Bede's, said he was beaten by Duggan, but not sexually abused. He said pupils knew that being sent to the priest resulted in abuse and has accused the bishop of not making a full apology.
Harding said he knew of one former student who committed suicide and another who "drank himself to death in a crack den" after being allegedly abused by the priest. He said it was no coincidence that they died in such horrific circumstances.
"It's just disgusting that the diocese won't bring itself to make a fulsome apology and that the bishop will only refer to it as 'reported' abuse in his statement," said Harding. "Everybody knew that if you were sent to Duggan you were going to get felt up and beaten.
"People say 'why didn't boys tell their parents?' But you've got to understand the level of obeyance to priests that Catholics had in Manchester during that period. It was incredibly powerful and Duggan would tell them that they either take a beating and whatever else he wanted to do to them or they were expelled - and nobody could face telling their parents they'd been expelled."
Victims who have not yet come forward have been urged by the bishop to contact the diocese. Duggan died in 1968, shortly after leaving St Bede's for a parish near Blackburn.
Harding said: "From the very beginning, we stated that compensation was not the motivating force behind our coming forward but it looks as though he has listened to his insurers before coming out with this."
The church said: "For the purposes of clarity, it should be stated that when this distressing issue was raised with the safeguarding commission, the police were immediately informed. However, since there was no documentary evidence to support any of the claims, the police have not pursued the issue."
The scandal is the second to hit St Bede's in recent times.
Two years ago, Father William Green was jailed for six years after "systematically" sexually abusing boys at the school where he was head of religious education.
Green, who took up his appointment in 1973 after studying for the priesthood in Rome, was given particular responsibility for boarders at St Bede's and encouraged friendship with pupils who saw him as a "father figure".
The church said any individual with any concerns or disclosures about Duggan was encouraged to contact, in confidence, the safeguarding co-ordinator of the diocese of Salford, Father Barry O'Sullivan, by telephone on 0161 817 2206 or by email on safeguarding@dioceseofsalford.org.