Dulwich: Former pupils of Dulwich Preparatory School have reached an out-of-court settlement to compensate them for the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of their former headmaster.

The group of eight men and women have been paid more than £200,000 in total just weeks before their case was due to be heard. The pupils claimed the school, based in Cranbrook, had failed in its basic duty of care after former headteacher Robin Peverett indecently assaulted them in his private living quarters.

Peverett was given an 18-month suspended sentence two years ago after pleading guilty to nine charges of indecent assault between 1969 and 1977. The trial heard the headmaster, who was awarded an OBE for services to education, would put children across his knee and smack them before taking them to his own quarters where he would further abuse them.

The group claimed they had suffered from psychological distress because of the abuse and, as a result, some had performed badly in exams. Peverett remained headmaster at the school until 1990, even though a complaint had been lodged against as early as 1975.

The settlement was made after nine hours of negotiations

July 15, 2002 11:00