"Hell on Earth": Abuse Allegations at Red House Children's Home Grow to 62 Cases

Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse and suicide that may be distressing to readers.

Following a Sky News investigation into a now-closed children's home in Norfolk, the number of people alleging abuse at the facility has risen to 62. The Red House, operated by the Danish organization Tvind - often described as a cult - is at the center of disturbing claims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

One survivor, identified as Colin, shares his harrowing experience. Taken into care after suffering sexual exploitation, the 15-year-old found his traumatic past weaponized against him at The Small School at Red House. "They'd been told I was a rent boy," he recalls. "A couple of lads grabbed me, saying they needed to 'knock me into shape.' The humiliation was unbearable - I considered ending my life."

Multiple survivors describe a regime of terror: staff allegedly breaking children's fingers, throwing them down stairs, and confining them with aggressive Alsatian dogs. For Colin, the abuse escalated to sexual violence. "Three boys strangled me until I passed out," he says. "When I woke up, they were assaulting me. I screamed endlessly. The next day, I ran away and never returned."

Operated by Tvind's School Cooperative, the facility was part of a network of controversial schools established in the 1960s. Despite mounting concerns - including a 1990 warning from the Social Services Inspectorate and a damning 1994 Norfolk County Council report noting 20 abuse cases - the home remained open until 1998. Shockingly, authorities continued placing vulnerable children there years after these red flags.

"It was a black hole where they dumped kids and forgot about them," says another survivor, placed there in 1997. "Not once did my social worker check on me." Many survivors are now pursuing legal action against Norfolk County Council and other responsible authorities.

Lawyer Daniel Lemberger Cooper states: "Norfolk Council knew about these allegations early on and failed to act. We demand transparency." The Shirley Oaks Survivors Association is supporting victims and encouraging others to come forward.

Despite two police investigations, no charges have been filed. Tvind's current Danish representatives deny ties to the former cooperative. Norfolk County Council acknowledges the claims but cites ongoing legal proceedings as limiting their ability to comment further.

For survivors like Colin, the scars remain: "It wasn't a school - it was hell on earth."

Sky News continues to investigate these allegations. Anyone affected can contact the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association for support.