DAVID LOWE'S SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE AT BRISTOL, AMPLEFORTH, AND WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL SCHOOL

In a series of disturbing revelations, David Lowe, a retired teacher with a long history of abusing young boys, has been convicted and sentenced for multiple acts of sexual misconduct spanning several decades and locations, including Bristol, Ampleforth, and Westminster.

In November 2019, Lowe, aged 66 and residing in Bristol, was sentenced to an additional two years in prison at Southwark Crown Court. This sentence was handed down after Lowe pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14, which related to incidents that occurred at Westminster Cathedral Choir School. These offences took place between September 1979 and August 1982 and involved two separate victims who have since come forward.

The victims, now living abroad, were motivated to speak out after seeing media coverage surrounding Lowe’s earlier convictions. The first victim recounted being taken to a private room at Westminster Cathedral Choir School as a form of punishment for being a “bad student,” where Lowe forced him to undress and then sexually assaulted him. The second victim, approximately eight years old at the time, was assaulted in his school dormitory. Both victims reported their experiences separately in June 2015, prompting an investigation led by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Central Specialist Crime Department.

Following the investigation, Lowe was interviewed under caution in October 2015 regarding both allegations. He was formally charged on September 13, 2019, and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 7 of the same year. The court proceedings revealed a pattern of predatory behavior by Lowe, who had previously been convicted in 2015 for a total of 15 child abuse offences involving ten boys under the age of 13, during his tenure at Westminster Cathedral Choir School and Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire.

Prior to his latest conviction, Lowe had been serving a ten-year prison sentence since February 2015, when he was found guilty of abusing ten boys at Westminster and Ampleforth. His crimes included grooming young boys by offering sweets and showering them with compliments, often during private singing lessons or in his personal office or flat. Court testimonies detailed how Lowe would fondle pupils, pretend to punish them by removing their clothing, and physically discipline them inappropriately.

The court heard that Lowe’s abuse often took place during night hours in dormitories, with some victims being as young as eight. One former pupil, now in his 40s, testified that Lowe’s inappropriate conduct began as “massages” during piano lessons but escalated to more invasive acts, including touching him in his trousers. Another victim described being invited to Lowe’s flat, where he was asked to remove his trousers and lie across Lowe’s lap, leading to prolonged fondling.

Lowe’s criminal activities extended beyond Westminster, as he also worked at Ampleforth College, a prestigious Catholic boarding school in North Yorkshire. There, he targeted four additional victims, grooming them through similar methods, including offering sweets and inviting them into his private space. The court heard that Lowe’s pattern of abuse was systematic, involving a “small group” of pupils with whom he maintained an unusually close and inappropriate relationship, even inviting some to his wedding.

His arrest in November 2012 at his Bristol home marked the culmination of years of investigation. Detective Sergeant Kirstie Martin of the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation, and child abuse command emphasized the betrayal of trust involved in Lowe’s actions. She stated, “David Lowe was a well-respected and talented teacher. He knew the boys he targeted felt hugely loyal to their schools and their teachers. He used this knowledge to abuse his position of trust in a truly terrible way.”

Despite the long history of abuse, Lowe’s victims, now adults, demonstrated remarkable courage in coming forward and reliving their traumatic experiences. Their testimonies were instrumental in securing his convictions, and authorities hope that this process will help them find some measure of closure. Lowe’s sentencing on February 5, 2015, and subsequent convictions serve as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding children and holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of how long ago the offences occurred.