Institutional Abuse and the Fight for Accountability with Joanna Brittan – S&H Podcast – Ep 69
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Watch or listen to this episode via Spotify HERE
In this episode of the Seen & Heard Podcast, Chris Braitch is joined by Joanna Brittan, a campaigner and whistleblower whose experiences of boarding school and institutional abuse have shaped years of work advocating for survivors and greater accountability.
Joanna was sent to boarding school as a young child and reflects on the profound impact of separation from her family, the loss of a sense of home and belonging, and the survival strategies she developed to cope. She describes becoming a high achiever and people-pleaser, learning from a young age that being compliant and keeping a smile on her face was a way to survive.
The conversation explores the wider impact of boarding school experiences, including emotional neglect, isolation, pressure to achieve, eating disorders and the ways childhood experiences can continue to shape adult life. Joanna also reflects on the experiences of her brothers and the different ways they responded to the same institutional environment.
Joanna discusses how she eventually began investigating what had happened at Sherborne, following her brother’s disclosure of abuse in 2017. Her search for answers led her to uncover historical information, connect with journalists and campaigners, and become increasingly involved in efforts to expose institutional failures.
The episode also explores Joanna’s involvement with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and her experience of participating without the legal protection she felt she needed. She explains why she became increasingly critical of the way survivors and whistleblowers were treated and why institutional accountability must remain central to safeguarding reform.
A significant part of the conversation focuses on mandatory reporting and why Joanna believes stronger legal protections are needed to prevent institutions from failing to act when abuse is known or suspected. Chris and Joanna discuss the importance of protecting whistleblowers and preventing alleged perpetrators from moving between institutions.
The conversation also touches on the experience of returning to former schools as a survivor, and how confronting places connected to painful experiences can sometimes become part of the healing process.
Ultimately, this is a powerful conversation about childhood, institutional culture, speaking out and the long journey towards accountability. Joanna’s story highlights both the personal cost of carrying experiences for decades and the importance of continuing to challenge systems when they fail to protect children.
#BoardingSchool #InstitutionalAbuse #Safeguarding #ChildProtection #MandatoryReporting #SurvivorVoices #InstitutionalAccountability #IICSA #Whistleblowing #SeenAndHeard
Links:
BBC coverage
BBC News filmed me outside the gates of Sherborne Prep when the IICSA Final Report was published in October 2022:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-63304255
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/sherborne-prep-robin-lindsay-abuse-1500475
https://www.dorset.live/news/dorset-news/dorset-campaigner-says-child-sex-6736677
Piers Cross podcast
https://youtu.be/MJknonuf4Sw?si=N7I6mf25DbsOrcUQ
Locked Up Living – Dr Naomi Murphy
Sonia Poulton
https://youtu.be/nc_NH0k9IBU?si=LlBvXZiMxWuR4wsI
Emma’s Imagination Podcast – USA
https://youtu.be/6wwaxT0OuFk?si=aLeubL9ayr7gGSyH
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-imagination/id1526743863?i=1000544066314
https://youtu.be/Xl5i02Ncse8?si=UT-N7xJVX8vMrf_e
X
https://x.com/jebrittan2/status/1171548335125270529?s=46
Second UAE / Al Fayed X account: https://x.com/jebrittan3/status/2066785646924923133?s=46
BBC – Ellie Price
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8FaHQX6/
Other relevant BBC / podcast coverage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg0xq65326o
https://youtu.be/oMklHRyttXE?si=8kHP-onn-64gYHHl
https://x.com/jebrittan2/status/2089360494058451179?s=46
Dr Naomi Murphy interviewed US expert B Carr and me about crime and trafficking:
https://youtu.be/SvRko7sGuoU?si=KdzMcL8MXIK-eJnD
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Joanna Brittan
01:50 Feeling Unseen and Unheard
02:12 Joanna’s Childhood and Family Background
06:30 Being Sent Away to Boarding School
10:30 Learning to Survive and Please
13:00 Achievement, Gender and Family Expectations
19:00 The Impact on Joanna and Her Brothers
21:00 Becoming a Parent to Her Siblings
24:00 Eating Disorders and the Pressure to Cope
27:20 Trauma, Memory and Survival
30:20 Finding Safety in Routine and Nature
35:00 Life After Boarding School
39:00 Discovering the Truth About Sherborne
44:27 Speaking Out and Seeking Accountability
47:00 Alex Renton and Raising Awareness
52:40 Returning to Former Schools
54:00 Mandatory Reporting and Institutional Failures
55:05 Joanna’s Experience of IICSA
57:00 Survivors, Legal Protection and Accountability
58:30 Fighting for Justice
59:13 The Campaign for Mandatory Reporting
01:00:10 Why Mandatory Reporting Matters
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✅ About Chris Braitch and Seen & Heard
Chris is an emotional health coach following a 20-year career in business and marketing, working for SMEs and some of the world’s largest food companies.
In 2024, he co-founded Seen & Heard, whose mission is to support the wellbeing of past and present pupils of boarding and independent day schools, and their families.
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