Home boss faces sex charges
Western Daily Press, March 19, 1999, pg. 12
FORMER children’s home manager Derek Duker has been charged with seven offences of indecent assault.
Duker, aged 69, of Clifton Road, Weston-super-Mare, was accused at Highbury Corner magistrates court in London of committing the offences between October 5 1966 and December 31 1973 at Gisburne House children’s home in Watford.
He was remanded on conditional bail until April 8.
Man, 69 in court on sex charges
THE BRISTOL POST, April 9, 1999
A WESTON-super-Mare man has again appeared before magistrates in London charged with seven counts of gross indecency.
Derek Russell Duker, aged 69, of Clifton Road, appeared before Highbury Corner Magistrates yesterday.
He has pleaded not guilty to all offences – four of indecently assaulting men and three relating to women.
The charges date back to between October 5, 1966, and December 31, 1973, at the Islington Council-operated Gisburne House children’s home in Gammons Lane, Watford.
Duker is said to have run the home in the 1970s.
His co-accused, William Francis McGough, 47, of Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, who faces 12 charges, is said to have been a worker at the home.
The case has been adjourned until May 24, when the pair will appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London for a plea and direction hearing.
Both men were granted bail on condition that they live at the addresses given and that they do not contact witnesses.
Man charged with indecency
THE BRISTOL POST, May 24, 1999 Pg. 2
A WESTON-super-Mare man is due to appear before a London Crown Court today charged with seven counts of gross indecency.
Derek Russell Duker, aged 69, of Clifton Road, was due to appear before Snares Brook Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing.
The former child-care worker has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Four allege that he indecently assaulted males and three relate to females.
The charges date back to between October 5, 1966 and December 31, 1973 at the Islington Council-operated Gisburne House children’s home in Gammons Lane, Watford.
Man faces indecency offences
THE BRISTOL POST, June 8, 1999, pg. 12
A FORMER North Somerset care worker will appear at the Old Bailey in London charged with seven indecency offences.
Derek Russell Duker, aged 69, of Clifton Road, Weston, has denied the charges.
He is accused of four charges of indecently assaulting males and three of indecently assaulting females.
The alleged offences happened between October 4, 1966 and January 1, 1973.
They relate to Gisburne House, an Islington Council-run children’s home in Watford which Duker is said to have run during the 1970s.
A plea and directions hearing will take place at the Old Bailey on June 16.
In May 1976 Malcolm Gibb, complaining on behalf of the Gay Education Group of Birmingham, had their complaint to the Press Council rejected. The Group believed the Sunday People’s May 1975 expose of PAL and five specific members to be ‘an incitement to prejudice and discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation.’
Press Council rejects People complaint, Gay News No.94 May 1976, p.4
“GLF had various sub-groups, one of which was the Gay Education Group. It was the longest lasting and later on as GLF petered out the Gay Education Group continued. Its main function was to educate. It did an awful lot over the years, we did talks at colleges, anywhere we could get into in fact. Also remarkably given the subsequent hysteria about Clause 28 we got into schools, unofficially the headmasters would let us in and we would talk to fifth and sixth formers about being gay. We would just turn up and say, ‘We are gay.’ We had some challenging questions. We also talked to social workers or trainee teachers. An awful of people had not met a gay person who did not feel utterly miserable or sick and we were out and proud. It was quite revelatory to people. The gay Education group took over campaigning from GLF when this petered out in 1977.” [Interview with Malcolm Gibb]
Iain Melville of PAL attends Albany Trust drinks on April 6 1976, Gay News No.93 (22 April – 5 May 1976) p.32
Paedophiles will not be prosecuted, Gay News No. 89 (26 February – 10 March 1976), p.3
The Sun, Saturday 20 September 1975, p.3
Old Etonian who faces jail, The Sun, Saturday 20 September, p.3
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