Update from the Head Teacher

Dear Old Blues,

I am sorry to inform you that a former staff member, Ajaz Karim, who was employed at CH as a sports coach from 1983 to 1993, has today been convicted of indecent assault on a female pupil, committed during his time at the school. He will be sentenced on 13 December 2024.

At CH, we feel deep compassion for the victim and those close to them and recognise their courage and strength throughout the judicial process, knowing that the trauma of abuse in childhood and adolescence can be lifelong and lifechanging. We are truly sorry that these offences, and others that have previously been documented, occurred at Christ’s Hospital.

Our thoughts today are also with other former pupils who were affected in similar circumstances. In recent years and following the convictions of other former members of staff for offences dating from the late 1960s to 2001, the school undertook an independently facilitated process with a number of Old Blues to better understand and respond to abuse they suffered at the school. This culminated in a Statement of Acknowledgement published in February 2023. We continue to work with this group to develop ongoing, long-term support to victims, their families and the wider community.

We recognise that assurances about current practice can be unhelpful, but it may be useful to know that today the safeguarding and welfare of students is our highest priority. Our approach and processes are unrecognisable to those of 30 years ago, when these offences took place. Our child protection policy is available here and the most recent ISI Regulatory Compliance Inspection, in which the school was found to have successfully met all its obligations, may be accessed here.

Lastly, we would like to thank Sussex Police and the CPS for their work on this case. We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse in any circumstance to report it.

Kind regards

Simon Reid
Head Teacher

Afternote: Ajaz Karim was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment on 13 December 2024.  He is already on the sex offenders register and has an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.