The Supreme Court in London has begun hearing legal arguments in an historic abuse case involving the Catholic diocese of Middlesbrough and the De La Salle Brothers. They ran St William's boys home in Yorkshire where children were sexually abused between 1960 and 1992.
The case involves over 150 claimants, many of whom say they were abused by former headmaster Br James Carragher.
He was sentenced in 2004 to 14 years for abusing boys at St William's and has a previous conviction for sex abuse.
The institution has since closed down and the buildings have been converted into a mental health facility.
St William's was staffed by De La Salle brothers, but the High Court and the Court of Appeal have ruled the ultimate control lay with the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough.
The Supreme Court is being asked to rule on the question of the liability of the two organisations.
David Greenwood, the solicitor representing the victims of abuse, said the Catholic Church in England had for years tried to escape liability for its priests and members and that he hoped this case would decide the issues once and for all.
Austen Ivereigh, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough, told RTÉ News that the diocese accepted partial liability because it was the nominal employer.
However, he said that the day-to-day running of St William's had been in the hands of the De La Salle Brothers and that they should bear the main part of the responsibility and liability.
The case is the largest of its kind in Britain and compensation and legal costs could run to millions of pounds.
A decision from the Supreme Court is expected by October.
The case involves over 150 claimants, many of whom say they were abused by former headmaster Br James Carragher.
He was sentenced in 2004 to 14 years for abusing boys at St William's and has a previous conviction for sex abuse.
The institution has since closed down and the buildings have been converted into a mental health facility.
St William's was staffed by De La Salle brothers, but the High Court and the Court of Appeal have ruled the ultimate control lay with the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough.
The Supreme Court is being asked to rule on the question of the liability of the two organisations.
David Greenwood, the solicitor representing the victims of abuse, said the Catholic Church in England had for years tried to escape liability for its priests and members and that he hoped this case would decide the issues once and for all.
Austen Ivereigh, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough, told RTÉ News that the diocese accepted partial liability because it was the nominal employer.
However, he said that the day-to-day running of St William's had been in the hands of the De La Salle Brothers and that they should bear the main part of the responsibility and liability.
The case is the largest of its kind in Britain and compensation and legal costs could run to millions of pounds.
A decision from the Supreme Court is expected by October.