Knottfield: Man told his story to help other abused children

Victim made police statement so others wouldn't be alone

A man who was abused at Knottfield children's home only complained to police because he didn't want others to go through the court process 'without anyone backing them up'.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first came forward after a political enquiry into the Douglas facility in 2017.  

At Douglas Courthouse this week he gave evidence against his abuser – the former 'senior house parent' Joseph Henry Marshall – during a five day trial.   

The 85-year-old had denied nine offences relating to sexual abuse of children in his care but a jury found him guilty of five; three counts of indecent assault and two of gross indecency.  

Two of those offences were committed against a man who'd been a visitor to Knottfield, on Woodbourne Road, in 1977 and 1978 when he was between seven and eight years of age.  

Speaking from the witness box the man described Knottfield as 'very foreboding' adding: "My situation was unusual. I was never a resident. I never stayed overnight.  

"I never really formed friendships or relationships with the other children. You will not find me on a piece of paper anywhere."  

Describing Marshall the man said, as a boy, he would often be called into his office for a verbal 'ticking off' – although unlike others, he said, he was never removed by force.  

"I always remember feeling that what he was doing was right. The adult was the authoritarian," he said.  

However those reprimands progressed to Marshall using a hand, or slipper, to smack the child's 'backside' over his clothing; before escalating to the punishment being administered underneath it.  

And it didn't stop there.  

Marshall – who was nicknamed 'Curly' – moved on to removing the child's clothing, standing behind him and touching his genitals; something he did between five and 10 times.   

"I understood a line had been crossed," the man told the jury.

"I remembered being terrified and frozen. I had my eyes shut and was fixed on the spot."  

Asked what Marshall would say afterwards the man recalled being told: "I shouldn't have spilt the milk or broke the toy because my Mum would be upset."   

Asked why he hadn’t told anyone at Knottfield – or at his own home – what had happened he said: “I never remember being taken into the office for no reason.  

“It felt justifiable. The adult is in charge and you do what the adult says.” 

It took the man almost two decades to tell his mother about what had happened to him at the children’s home and it was 40 years, after the abuse first started, before he made a complaint to police.

And this, he said, he’d only done to support other people – who he didn’t know - who may have gone through the same experience he had. 

“I was never interested in justice for me,” he said. “I didn’t want someone to be in a court room without anyone backing them up.”

“Had it just been you, yourself, you would not have come forward to give evidence?” Marshall’s defence team asked him. 

“Yes, that’s correct. I felt I didn’t suffer as much as other people,” the man added.  

Joseph Henry Marshall will appear at Douglas Courthouse on Monday, 17 January when a date for his sentencing will be set. He has been bailed until that date.