I'm watching the show in order, and had been pretty happy with the way things were shaping up in Season 6... Even the obnoxious Inspector Mallory wasnt acting as horrible as usual. Now on that subject, I do wish the producers of the show would read the reviews onsite, and understand that Mallory's character (not the actor) is extremely cliche, way over the top, and irritating to the point of unbelievability, AND ruining the whole show. Honestly, I was just about ready to call it a wrap (on viewing) at the end of Season 5 because of him... but decided to keep going and see what happens... so as I said, the Season was moving along pretty impressively... until this episode.
If you enjoy seeing children beaten with whips & things to the point of being disfigured as an adult, then this one will be right up your alley. For me, it was shocking and dark, and a couple of the scenes haunted me for a few days. I understand that this sort of thing did go on at private schools years ago. I could have been told that it happened to one character in the episode without it being depicted so graphically onscreen. Seeing this sort of thing onscreen, fills me with rage (no doubt partly from my own childhood traumas), and I wish I could wipe this episode completely from my memory. It's too late for that, but I can at least warn others.