Why boarding schools must do more to tackle child-on-child sexual abuse

Experts say children who live and learn in institutions away from their parents will always be more vulnerable

• Warning: contains graphic content some readers may find upsetting

Benji* was in his early teens when a fellow pupil at one of the country’s most prestigious independent schools began a series of sexual assaults against him that went on for years.

He had previously been happy at school, where he excelled at sport. Then one night he woke in his dormitory to find the other boy’s hand on his penis. “I just froze,” said Benji.