Princess Diana's brother wants corporal punishment abolished

Sir Frank Peters

Sir Frank Peters

Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, is advocating an immediate end to corporal punishment to children in all settings.

The distinguished aristocrat, now 59, alleges he was physically, mentally, and sexually abused at Maidwell Hall boarding school in Northamptonshire during the 1970s when he was just 11 years old.

Princess Diana.Earl of Spencer - SirFrankPeters@gmail.com.

In his memoir entitled ‘A Very Private School’ (to be published later this month) he tells how he and other young boys were targeted, groomed, and abused in their dormitory beds at night by a female member of staff whom he describes as a "voracious paedophile".

In his book he also recalls how corporal punishment was a common and considered “normal practice” at the boarding school. He said reliving his time at Maidwell had been an "absolutely hellish experience" that no child should endure. He went on to suggest the school's headmaster gained twisted "sexual pleasure from the violence” of the "brutal beatings" that he imposed upon the pupils.

The 9th Earl of Spencer said he was speaking out now to prevent other innocent children suffering from corporal punishment and other abusive acts and then carry the hurt within for almost a half-century, as he did.

He said he regrets not speaking out about his experiences before, but he was too embarrassed and had wanted the terrible thoughts to just evaporate into thin air and go away as if they never happened.

Indisputable scientific evidence has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that children who are subjected to corporal punishment – like the Earl of Spencer  – never forget the experiences inflicted upon them. It may appear that ‘all is forgotten’ and ‘it was a thing of the past’, but the effects of corporal punishment abuse never go away, haunt continuously, and can manifest in many unwelcomes character traits. A slap on the face is extremely difficult to forget and is rarely forgiven, if ever.

Justice Md. Imman Ali and Justice Md. Sheikh Hassan Arif of the Bangladesh Supreme Court said no child should be subjected to corporal punishment.  They described the evil act as: "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a clear violation of a child's fundamental right to life, liberty, and freedom".

More and more nations each year are outlawing corporal punishment because it was a senseless practice from the very beginning, but like DDT the dangers were not known until later. Corporal punishment is without an iota of benefit, but can cause lifelong irreparable psychological and physical damage. Love and respect can never be taught through corporal punishment, but there are wicked and evil people around who try, and they must be stopped.

The Earl of Spencer owns Althorp House – a 13,000-acre estate in Northamptonshire, which has been in the Spencer family for 500 years. Princess Diana, an advocate of anti corporal punishment, and mother to Prince William and Prince Harry, is buried there.

(Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian, human rights activist Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters and a foreign friend of Bangladesh.)