'Walking into hell': Sandyridge children’s home victims call for new police investigation
Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual abuse that some may find distressing. Help and support can be found here.
Two former residents of a now-closed children’s home in Kent say the authorities have categorically failed to protect them from systemic abuse they suffered when they were younger.
Winnie and Amanda believe they were handpicked and trafficked into a paedophile ring, operating out of Sandyridge and Costa Villa in Greatstone - two unregistered children’s homes, run by Denis and Anne May.
They both shared photos of them and their siblings as children - playing on the beach, pulling funny faces and smiling for the camera. But they say those moments hide a childhood of horrific mistreatment.
*Out of respect for the survivors who suffered abuse, we’ve chosen to omit the most graphic and disturbing details.*
Amanda told ITV Meridian: “The first couple of days of being there, my sister Jenny, my brother Jason and I were told that we had to call the Mays’ mum and dad because our parents didn't want us.
"There wasn't a day that didn't go past where there wasn't a child who was being sexually, physically abused or emotionally abused. It was constant. It was every day. If it wasn’t us, it was someone else."
Winnie moved to Sandyridge by Brent Council, alongside her two sisters Rose and Eileen and her brothers Simon and Francis. All of whom allege they were systematically abused by the Mays.
“The hardest part for me being the older sister of my siblings was to witness the abuse that my brothers and my sisters suffered. I would say that was harder for me than the actual abuse that happened to me.
“We were innocent children that should be protected, safeguarded, loved and nurtured. If we can come up here and we can tell our story, for me, I just hope that it encourages other victims to come forward.”
Denis May was able to prey on the most vulnerable children for almost 30 years - his depravity was covered by a cloak of respectability in the community. Denis was a former school governor and a branch chair of the Folkestone & Hythe Conservatives Association, making him responsible for meeting public figures, like the local MP Michael Howard - who later became Home Secretary.
None of the children allege any misconduct by Mr Howard, but do remember him visiting the home.
“It wasn't a professional relationship,” Amanda said.
“They used to come round for dinner parties. Us kids would have to go and do all of Michael Howard’s leafletting for his election campaign. We’d walk for miles. We’d have to sit there folding up all of these leaflets and then go to post them all.”
In response Lord Howard of Lympne told ITV Meridian: “While I knew the Mays, I did not attend any dinner parties at the home. I visited once or twice, just like I would visit many homes as part of being the local MP.
“I would not have known who was leafletting and wouldn’t control who was campaigning for me.
“I very much regret what’s happened but I knew nothing about it at the time - only what has been reported in the press recently.”
Both Winnie and Amanda’s families were among more than 40 children sent from homes in South London, like Shirley Oaks in Lambeth, where abuse was rife.
Multiple victims of the Mays reported their abuse to the authorities and to the Shirley Oaks Survivors' Association (SOSA).
The SOSA action group was set up by Raymond Stevenson and Lucia Hinton to support people who had been abused in children’s homes across the UK. They’re calling on Kent Police to reopen the case.
Raymond Stevenson, said: “It’s clear from our investigation there was numerous people that came forward and they all gave corroborating evidence and the police did the right thing by taking individual statements.
"But we can't rationalise why they came to the conclusion not to pursue this. All these people have now received compensation and Lambeth have paid out compensation for those abuse victims.
"So our concern is that Kent Police may have had an ulterior motive for not pursuing this case properly.”
A document given to ITV Meridian by SOSA suggests a senior Lambeth social worker, called Charlie Elliot, played a key role in covering it up and blocking any police investigation.
The confidential briefing note from Lambeth Childrens services in 1996, says children disclosed the abuse to Charlie Elliot, but he took no action. The Mays personally requested Elliot to be their council contact.
Denis and Anne May were eventually arrested and Kent Police had 19 people they wanted to interview, but Elliot pressured victims into silence, with social services concerned he was blocking their investigation.
The homes were shut down and both properties now have new owners, who are unconnected to the previous incidents there.
Both Charlie Elliot (1999), Anne May (2006) and Denis May (2019) died without ever being charged. But Winnie believes there’s still a chance for Kent Police to investigate someone complicit in the abuse of her brother Simon.
Winnie said: “I still hear this in my head now and it will stay with me for life. He was screaming: No, no, no, no, no, no, don't, please don’t.
"Then he came out of the living room and he was blue. Dennis May was holding him on one side and another individual that's linked to the home and still alive now was holding him the other side and he was just a kid."
“Putting those puzzle pieces together should be simple," Amanda added.
"The amount of children that went through that house from the time it opened to the time it closed.
"I think there was about 63 in total. You know, the abuse is on such a high level. Why isn't anyone being made accountable for this?”
A Lambeth Council spokesperson told ITV Meridian: “Lambeth makes a sincere and heartfelt apology to all victims and survivors of abuse and neglect while in Lambeth’s care at the borough’s former children’s homes which were open from the 1930s to the 1980s and 1990s.
“Over £100million in compensation has been paid to more than 2,000 victims and survivors of abuse who applied to the Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme which was open from 2018 to 2022. Counselling services set up under the scheme remain open and are available on an ongoing basis.
“Due to amount of time that has passed we cannot confirm what historical investigations were carried out into this man’s horrific offending. Further, historical investigations conducted by the council over a number of years were rightly criticised for failing. “The current administration recognised this, and having listened to the views of victims and survivors, focussed on setting up the Redress Scheme and cooperating with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which included a ‘Children in the care of Lambeth Council’ investigation.
“The historical events in relation to children placed in the care of the council, which included the conduct of former council staff, senior officers and councillors were subject to a lengthy examination at the national inquiry.
“The council’s cooperation with the national inquiry’s investigation into Lambeth included sharing more than 300,000 pages of historical documents. The council of today is sadly unable to say why actions were not taken in the past, but we have endeavoured to uncover and share as much as possible.”
But for Winnie and her siblings, they were under the care of Brent Council and are still fighting for compensation.
A Brent Council spokesperson said: "We're extremely sorry to hear about the harrowing trauma that the family has suffered at Sandyridge children's home. We can confirm that the family’s solicitors have recently approached the Council and, of course, our legal team is working constructively with them.”
To date, Kent Police has received no formal challenge to the conduct of the investigation or its outcome.
A spokesperson told ITV Meridian: "Kent Police is committed to protecting victims of child abuse and bringing perpetrators to justice, and it is never too late to report a crime. Investigations into reports of non-recent child sexual abuse are some of the most complex that the force deals with and dedicated officers are in post to manage these cases.
"Guilt or innocence is never prejudged, but victims are listened to, reports are taken seriously and are investigated impartially. The force never gives up on victims.
"Between 2017 and 2022, Kent Police carried out a full and exceptionally thorough investigation into reports of abuse at a children’s home in Greatstone between 1978 and 1996. The investigation was long and complex, involving meticulous analysis of evidence including multiple victim statements, witness accounts and key documentation relating to the period of time in question by diligent and dedicated police investigators. Throughout the process, detectives communicated regularly with victims to offer support and to update them as the case progressed.
"As part of their enquiries, officers revisited a comprehensive and detailed 1995 investigation into similar reports of offences at the home. Following that initial detailed investigation by Kent Police detectives of all available evidence, a case file was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of charges however the CPS decision, on 29 October 1996, was that this could not progress to a charge as there was no realistic prospect of conviction and there were issues around a lack of corroborative evidence.
"In March 2019, during the later investigation, an individual arrested in December 2017 - and later released under investigation, pending further evidence – died. A second individual remained under investigation.
"Officers continued their work on this highly complex and challenging investigation – including regular liaison with CPS lawyers to ensure no stone was left unturned. However, on 25 July 2022 the CPS gave its final decision that due to fundamental weaknesses in the evidence presented to, and uncovered by, Kent Police there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction and the case did not proceed to charge.
"Officers kept all witnesses fully updated and informed as to the progress of the investigation, and about the rationale behind the case not progressing to trial."
For many years, victims of abuse by the Mays and Charlie Elliot felt like the authorities gave up on them.
Amanda’s brother Jason died from an accidental overdose, aged 35. Winnie’s brother Simon died from liver failure at 33.
It’s too late for them to tell their stories, but Amanda and Winnie have vowed to continue their fight for justice on their behalf.
They say they're certain there are more people out there, who knew what was happening at Sandyridge and allowed it to continue, or chose to stay silent.
If you've been affected by this story, help, advice and support is available here and from the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association.
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