Earl Spencer details harrowing sexual abuse experience in school
Charles Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, has recently opened up about the sexual abuse he faced while attending a prestigious boarding school, Maidwell Hall, in England. In a preview of his interview with the TODAY show, the Earl unflinchingly shared, "We were like prisoners. We were preyed to very bad people's worst instincts." He revealed these harrowing details ahead of his new memoir, A Very Private School, which is set to be published soon.
'A voracious pedophile': Details of the abuse
In his memoir, the 59-year-old author, journalist, and broadcaster, recounted being abused by a "predatory assistant matron" when he was just 11 years old. The woman, who was around 19 or 20 years old, would reportedly engage in "kissing and touching" with him. Describing her as a "voracious pedophile," he claimed that she preyed on him and other young boys, "grooming and then abusing them in their dormitory beds at night."
'She cynically encouraged boys to compete for her affection'
"While we kissed, one night, she reached under my bedclothes, trailing her fingers in teasing, looping circles down my stomach until alighting on the little that an 11-year-old boy can muster," he wrote. According to Spencer, the woman chose one boy per term to have sex with and "cynically encouraged boys" to compete for her affection, saying, "There seemed to be an unofficial hierarchy among her prey...she chose one boy each term to share her bed with her."
Brutal beatings inflicted by 'sadistic' headmaster, other staff member
The book also recounts the brutal beatings inflicted by John Porch, the "terrifying and sadistic" headmaster of the prep school from 1963 to 1978, who appeared to derive "sexual pleasure from the violence." Additionally, the school's Latin master, Henry Maude, subjected Spencer to severe beatings using the spikes of a cricket boot, and he once knocked a boy unconscious as punishment. This staff member allegedly chose boys for "naked swimming lessons," during which "he would become visibly sexually aroused."
Self-harm, losing his virginity at 12: Impact of abuse
The abuse Spencer endured for five years led him to self-harm. In his memoir, he wrote, "I was so fraught at the prospect of losing her [the matron] that I started cutting at the inside of my arm with a penknife." Having been abused by the matron, he also shared that he wanted "full sex at an early age" and "lost his virginity at age 12 to a prostitute in Italy."
Spencer first disclosed the abuse when he was 42
Maidwell Hall told Daily Mail that they were "sorry that was their experience." Informing TODAY that they have alerted local authorities to investigate potential crimes against students, the school also encouraged anyone with similar experiences to come forward. Despite considering legal action, Spencer decided against it to avoid reopening traumatic memories. Following the collapse of his second marriage in 2007, he first disclosed the abuse during a therapy course, when he was around 42 years old.
Meanwhile, a quick look at Spencer's background and career
Born in London in 1964, Spencer had Queen Elizabeth II as his godmother and was baptized at Westminster Abbey. He shared a close bond with his sister Diana while growing up. Spencer worked as an on-air correspondent for NBC News from 1986 to 1995, covering NBC Nightly News and Today. He has also authored history books, including Althorp: The Story of an English House. Notably, the ninth Earl Spencer has seven children from three marriages.