I was abused at school 45 years ago and can’t get around it

DEAR DEIDRE: My class teacher punished the boys by making them bend over the desk and then he hit us extremely hard on our legs and buttocks.

This happened to me and my classmates regularly from the age of 12.

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I’ve never forgotten it and it always bothers me. I’m 57 now.

Your school days should be the happiest days of your life, but he turned mine into a nightmare.

I feel like this was abuse, as I know that teachers were not allowed to punish children in this way, even then.

I know it’s been a long time, but do I have a case to file a claim for abuse against the local government?

DEIDRE SAYS: Corporal punishment was banned in state-funded secondary schools in England in 1986, although it was frowned upon for years.

But your experience does sound extreme.

Talk to NAPAC, the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, who can advise you if there is a case to answer (napac.org.uk0808 801 0331).

My support package Abused as a child can also mean something for you.