Man claims he was raped by NUN and fathered her baby during horrific sexual abuse at Catholic home

Edward Hayes has waived his right to anonymity to encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to speak out

A man claims he was raped by a nun when he was 12 and later went on to father her baby after he became a victim of horrific sexual abuse at a Catholic home.

Edward Hayes told how he was abused for almost three years at the former John Reynolds Home in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, in the 1950s.

The home was run by The Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph - a Catholic congregation of nuns - which has apologised for Edward's treatment.

Edward, now 76, waived his right to anonymity to lift the lid on the horrific sexual abuse he suffered to encourage fellow survivors to speak out.

He said he believes his case could be the “tip of the iceberg” in revealing how vulnerable boys were targeted by nuns.

Edward claimed one nun raped him from the age of 12 and was sent back to her home in Ireland in disgrace when she fell pregnant.

He says he never found out what happened to the child he fathered and that his abuser was now dead.

Speaking publicly for the first time to the Daily Express, Edward said he has gone "through hell" for most of his life trying to hide what happened in his past.

Now a grandfather living in Carlisle, Edward claims he fell victim to then Irish nun Sister Mary Conleth, whose real name he said was Bessie Veronica Lawler.

She arrived at the Lancashire home in 1953 to work in the laundry room before she "sought" Edward out, it was reported.

He told the Daily Express: “I had barely started work there when it happened - I was still 12.

"She’d pull my trousers down - she’d push me to the floor and would lay on top of me.

“I hated doing it but she said she’d tell on me if I didn’t, that I’d been a bad boy and I’d be punished."

Edward told the newspaper he would not let Sister Conleth kiss him and that he thought babies "were made by men kissing women.”

As an adult, Edward said he struggled to cope with the abuse which made him turn to drink and led to his marriage failing because he was unable to build "normal relationships".

In 2012, he was granted legal aid to launch legal proceedings against the Catholic Church but became disillusioned with the law firm instructing on his behalf.

Four years later, the breakthrough was made when Edward was offered £20,000 compensation - although he claims most of the cash was lost in legal fees.

Speaking publicly about the abuse, Edward said: "I might not be able to win, but I can get even.”

A spokesman for the Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph said: “I am desperately sad that abuse took place to Mr Hayes while he was placed under our care.

“The Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph have offered our sincere and unreserved apology for the abuse he suffered whilst resident at the John Reynolds Home and all the subsequent pain and trauma which followed the actual abuse.”

“There is no place for abuse in the Church and along with every other agency caring for children and vulnerable adults, we now have stringent safeguarding policies which aim to prevent any possible recurrence of what happened to Mr Hayes.”