[longsuffering]

The RCMP are investigating allegations of abuse dating back several decades at a central Alberta Bible college.

Mounties in Three Hills began looking into the allegations this week after administrators at Prairie Bible Institute directed the RCMP to rumours swirling on the Internet and after a complaint was filed.

Catherine Darnell, 56, started the Facebook group in September for alumni of the college, located northeast of Calgary. Darnell says that as a child she suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse from staff at the non-denominational Protestant school, which for many years was known for its strictness and insularity.

"(I started the group) to open up dialogue regarding abuse and hopefully to get people to come forward if they've been impacted," said Darnell, who now lives outside Fergus, Ont. She says her abusers are now dead.

Linda Fossen, a Prairie alumnus who has written about being abused by her father - who also was a student at the school - says she has heard from more than 80 victims, mostly staff kids who were sexually abused.

This week, Fossen, who lives in Florida, filed a complaint about the abuse with Three Hills RCMP.

RCMP investigate abuse claims