A manager at a care home allegedly took advantage of his unrestricted access to vulnerable children to engage in sexual abuse spanning nearly two decades, prosecutors informed a jury.
Malcolm Phillips, 92, is facing accusations of exploiting children for his own sexual satisfaction at a residence in Halifax, West Yorkshire, from 1976 to 1994. His assistant, Linda Brunning, 66, is also accused of participating in the abuse of children at the facility and committing an indecent assault on a young boy.
The trial for Brunning and a trial of facts for Phillips, who is considered unfit to stand trial, commenced at Bradford Crown Court. The allegations involve six victims, comprising four females and two males, over an extended period.
According to the prosecution, Phillips, as the manager of Skircoat Lodge, allegedly entered the bedrooms of female residents at night and sexually assaulted them while they were wearing nightclothes. The prosecutor, Michelle Colborne KC, emphasized that the children at the home were vulnerable, with many having experienced prior abuse.
Colborne detailed that Phillips, who resided in a flat adjacent to the girls’ rooms, had complete access, which he utilized to target specific children for his gratification. She further stated that Brunning, during her 16-year tenure alongside Phillips, also played a role in isolating and manipulating children for abuse.
The court was informed that the defendants carefully selected their victims based on their records and knowledge of who could be influenced. The prosecutor highlighted that the children were coerced with threats of withholding pocket money or canceling family visits if they tried to escape the facility.
The trial continues, with Phillips facing multiple charges related to indecent assault, indecency with a child, buggery, and rape. Brunning, from Sowerby Bridge near Halifax, is charged with aiding and abetting indecent assault and buggery on a male individual.
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