A Jewish man who says he suffered antisemitic and sexual abuse from a pastor at a council-run children’s home has said the church denied responsibility when he appealed for redress.

Mike Bralowski, who lived at Hutton Residential School near Brentwood in Essex between September 1955 and 1956, also came up against a brick wall at Islington council, which sent him to the school.

It told him he was not eligible for a payment scheme set up for survivors of abuse between 1966 and 1995 because he was at Hutton prior to that period.

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Mike Bralowski today

Mr Bralowski, 79, told the JC the school pastor made him admit in front of the congregation he was personally responsible for the death of Jesus, and later subjected him to sexual assaults.

He added that he was regularly subjected to a “kill the Jew-boy” chant at the school, whose headteacher told him he was a “worthless Jew” and beat him.But when he contacted the Diocese of Chelmsford in 2019 about the abuse, Mr Bralowski claimed it denied responsibility, stating that the minister accused of abusing him, Pastor North, was not employed by the diocese.

“He was a Church of England-ordained priest and his actions took place in a building consecrated by the C of E; the diocese’s excuses are nonsense,” said Mr Bralowski. “I recently attempted to contact Lambeth Palace [the Archbishop of Canterbury’s headquarters] about my experience, but they also stressed that Pastor North was not employed by the Church but by Islington Council.”

When Mr Bralowski reported his horrific experiences to Islington in 2020, he was told that he was ineligible for compensation because at the time of the abuse the borough was under the remit of the now-abolished London County Council.

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Mike Bralowski as a young boy

A spokesperson from Islington Survivors Network (ISN), which campaigns for victims of child abuse from the borough, told the JC that it was “unjust” that survivors of abuse that took place before 1966 are not covered in an existing payment scheme for victims.
ISN also confirmed that 12 other people had come forward to them about abuse at Hutton Residential School.

Mr Bralowski, who has gone on to forge a successful photography career, said he suffered extensive physical and emotional abuse from his parents, and spent his childhood in and out of social care.

“My earliest memory is of a bitterly cold winter night being led along a country lane covered in snow somewhere in Kent, I must have been between two and four years old.

“My mother handed me over to an austere lady who forbade me to speak or show any emotion when my mother departed, made me strip and get into a very cold bed in a dormitory full of other children like me, unwanted and frightened.”

Aged 12 he recalls being moved to the “really horrific” Hutton Residential School. “The home was vast with probably 200 to 300 children, most of whom were from East London. I was the only child from a Jewish background in my house and suffered frightening racial abuse.

"Most of the staff and children were antisemitic and I would often be subjected to a chant of ‘Kill the Jew boy’, which terrified me.

“The headteacher, often ranted about how I was a worthless Jew-boy and beat me. On Sundays, we all had to attend church on school grounds where Pastor North was in charge.

“At Easter he made me stand in front of the congregation and admit that I was personally responsible for the death of Jesus, which earned me yet another bad beating and another night of absolute terror as the chants went on and on.

"Other students and staff including Pastor North also subjected me to extensive sexual abuse. I eventually ran away back to my parents but they phoned the school, demanding they take me back.”

Mr Bralowski reported still “waking up screaming at least twice a week” after experiencing vivid nightmares about the abuse he faced.

In October, a Lambeth Palace safeguarding officer told Mr Bralowski that they were “sorry for the distress and suffering” he had experienced, and suggested that he may be eligible for financial support through a redress scheme the church was developing.

They added that Mr Bralowski may receive an official apology from the church, though they could not confirm whether or when this would happen.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Chelmsford said: “We looked into this case and offered support when the issue was raised with us in 2019.

"The priest concerned, now deceased, was employed by the local authority run Hutton Residential School, and we provided details of a survivor network which includes a redress scheme for survivors of abuse at this school.

“The priest concerned never held a Church of England appointment in the Diocese of Chelmsford or any authority from the Bishop of Chelmsford to exercise ministry in the Diocese.

“We are aware of the courage it takes for survivors of abuse to come forward and share their story. The cases of abuse perpetrated by clergy and others in the Church of England over many years are a cause of great shame and we are committed to supporting anyone who has suffered abuse.”

A spokesperson for Lambeth Palace said: “We can confirm that a safeguarding officer at Lambeth Palace was contacted about this case and signposted the Church of England’s National Redress Scheme.”

In March 2021 Islington Council launched a £10,000 payment for people abused by paid staff and volunteers across 41 Islington children’s homes between 1966 and 1995 but Mr Bralowski is not eligible for this payment.

A spokeman for the council said: “We’re deeply sorry for the council’s past failure to protect vulnerable children in its children’s homes, which was the worst chapter in this council’s history.”