Iain Peters waited more than 50 years before going to the police but hopes he can be a beacon for other survivors
A man who was sexually assaulted by a children’s television presenter has spoken of how climbing and mountaineering saved his life and “sanity” during the 50 years in which he kept the abuse secret.
Iain Peters, 77, who has waived his right to anonymity, was between nine and 13 years old when he was abused weekly by John Earle, when he was a geography teacher and deputy head at a now-closed boarding school in Okehampton, Devon.
The school closed shortly after and Earle went on to present children’s television programmes including Treasure House and Tom Tom, and was a storyteller for the flagship BBC series Jackanory.
Peters broke his silence in 2015 and after reporting the abuse to police, Earle at the aged of 87 admitted six counts of indecently assaulting a boy and was jailed in 2017 for four years.
