A SURVIVOR of abuse at Fort Augustus Catholic boarding school has asked Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House to meet with him amid fears the force is not capable of dealing with survivors of child abuse. The call comes ahead of a wide-ranging public inquiry into historic child abuse that, campaigners believe, will lead to a substantial increase in the number of people coming forward to report abuse.
Andi Lavery, from White Flowers Alba, an advocacy group for child sex-abuse survivors, claimed the force were trying to trash his reputation ahead of the start of the Scottish Government’s public inquiry into historic child sex abuse in Scotland.
Lavery’s claim came after police denied a force call-handler had shouted at him when he tried to report abuse on behalf of two men at Pluscarden Abbey.
As reported in the National on Friday, detectives from Police Scotland are now investigating claims of historic child sex abuse at the Moray abbey in the 60s and 80s.
The two men, who say they were abused at that time, went to Lavery who then reported their abuse to Police Scotland.
Lavery says the call handler did not deal with him in a manner appropriate for the crimes he was reporting.
In his letter Lavery wrote: “Reporting the abuse that I myself suffered as a child has brought me nothing but bother and threats. Now to be publicly humiliated by Police Scotland is unacceptable, especially given the number of fellow victims who have [committed suicide].”
Lavery has requested a meeting with Sir Stephen House to “find a way forward”. The campaigner goes on to say it is essential to restore “public confidence”, “survivor confidence” in the police ahead of the public inquiry into historical child abuse in Scotland due to start in October.
He then goes on to say there are lessons to learn for police, health services and social services from the experience of survivors who have given evidence at child sex-abuse inquiries in other countries.
“In Northern Ireland, people brave enough to testify to the Hart Inquiry into institutional child abuse, have been left attempting suicide,” he says.
“Other survivors have had to talk distraught witnesses off bridges, statutory services wholly failing them. In Australia the suicide rate of abuse survivors is horrendous.”
Lavery continues: “I spoke out as a both a father and a survivor, so that no child suffer what I did. I’m not prepared to accept what happened to me as a child, nor am I prepared to accept being spoken to like this, or being lied about.
“I must ask that the people of Scotland stop watching from the sidelines and actively support survivors. Abuse and delays in achieving justice only occur through society as a whole being in implicit denial. We must achieve societal change, we must stop children being harmed, institutions delaying justice and we must support survivors.”
Responding to Lavery’s earlier criticism of Police Scotland, Detective Chief Superintendent Lesley Boal, lead officer for public protection, said: “It is absolutely critical that victims of abuse who contact the police have confidence that we will treat them seriously and sensitively.
“Police Scotland is committed to investigating all reports of non-recent sexual crime. There are many reasons why someone may not report such abuse until years, even decades, after the event. Regardless of when abuse took place, we are determined to listen to victims and trace those responsible for sexual crime.
“The National Child Abuse Investigation Unit was established earlier this year to provide additional specialist support to local policing teams throughout the country to give victims every confidence that we will listen and we will carry out every investigative opportunity available to us. We are already seeing the additional benefit of that approach through successful prosecutions. We are currently assessing the potential impact of the national public inquiry into historic abuse which is set take place later this year.
“Anyone with information on child sexual abuse is asked to contact Police Scotland.”