The victim of an alleged children’s home abuser told jurors that the police ‘didn’t care’ why he had run as far away as Peterborough – and that allegations were 'brushed under the carpet'.

The man, now in his 50s, claims he was abused in the 1980s at two Oxfordshire children’s homes by staff member Gerald Raffell.

Giving evidence to Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he had absconded from care on an almost weekly basis – being picked up by police in Oxford, Peterborough, Birmingham and Banbury.

READ MORE: Prosecution opens case in children's home 'abuse' trial

He was asked by Rishy Panesar, for defendant Raffell: “They didn’t ask why you’d run away? They didn’t ask why you didn’t want to be at the home? Didn’t even ask why you’d come so far away from the area?”

To each question the defendant answered: “No.”

He added: “They didn’t really care, you know.”

Mr Panesar asked whether he had ever reported the abuse to anybody.

“They didn’t want to hear what we had to say back then,” the complainant said.

“It was just brushed under the carpet and we were moved onto another home.”

Raffell is accused of sexually assaulting three boys at Yarnton House children’s home, near Kidlington, or Turners Court, near Wallingford, in the 1980s.

The 74-year-old defendant, of West View Road, Hartlepool, denies nine counts of indecent assault. The trial continues.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward