Horrific revelations here, and probably one thing stands out, as with many other cases.
Did anyone report these crimes ? Did you Venice,or Lud tell anyone at the time ?
Physical punishment was accepted within the education system, and at the same time parents could batter their kids. No repercussions, just simply considered 'the norm' in many areas.
They were still hanging people for murder.
'No hopers' were probably pressured into the religious organisations either as a way of escape or as Casper says 'sanctuary' because they didn't fit in anywhere else. They too may have been abused.
One big horrible place for those who suffered at the hands of, and I dare say we could all, at one level or another, relate a story that would now be deemed fit for the courts.
Ive only grainy recollections now granny . Probably told contemporaries about it , but likely didnt say anything in the school - as you say, you tended to accept things more in those days . Certainly banging heads together would have been a difficult thing to comment on as although it must have hurt, no-one was knocked out or anything so nothing to point to.If you think about it as well, it was a commonly used expression by parents , that trivialized the actual act .
As for the ruled knuckles, that was definitely not particularly frowned upon in those days for bad behaviour - I think the mentality was that you had choice - you brought it upon yourself if you chose to be 'naughty', but yes it was more controversial when used for 'wrong answers ' etc, but Id been warned beforehand that it was a 'very strict' school that got superb results , so I guess as a student at the time , I probably just accepted it.
