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Famous Scottish boarding schools named in child abuse inquiry

By Auslan Cramb
Telegraph
January 31, 2017

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/31/famous-scottish-boarding-schools-named-child-abuse-inquiry/

Gordonstoun near Elgin

Fettes in Edinburgh

Lady Smith speaking in Edinburgh

Some of Scotland’s most prestigious private schools, including the alma maters of the Prince of Wales and Tony Blair, are to be investigated as part of a national child abuse inquiry.

Gordonstoun near Elgin, attended by Prince Charles, and Fettes College in Edinburgh, where Mr Blair was a pupil, are among 100 locations where historical abuse is alleged to have taken place.

The figure includes more than 60 residential care establishments, including institutions run by religious orders and local authorities.

Other prominent boarding schools being looked into include Loretto in Mussleburgh, Scotland’s oldest boarding School, Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School, the former Keil School in Dumbarton, and Morrison's Academy in Crieff, when it was a boarding school.

Lady Smith, the new chairman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, named the schools at the start of the inquiry at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Care organisations including Quarriers and Barnardo’s are also to be investigated by inquiry staff.

Lady Smith, who was speaking in the role for the first time, replaced the original chairman, Susan O'Brien QC, who resigned in July complaining of government interference and now plans to sue the Scottish Government for £500,000.

John Swinney, the education minister, later told MSPs he had been considering her removal from the post over claims she made inappropriate comments about survivors, which she strenuously denies.

Lady Smith insisted during the preliminary hearing that the investigation would be fully independent.

She said: "The inquiry team is investigating boarding schools. Specifically, they are investigating Fettes Cottage, Gordonstoun, the former Keil School in Dumbarton, Loretto School, Merchiston Castle School and Morrison's Academy, at the time it was a boarding school.

"Other boarding schools may also be investigated to obtain as full a picture as possible of the nature and extent of abuse in boarding schools."

The inquiry is also investigating allegations over schools run by orders of the Roman Catholic Church. These include St Ninian's in Falkland, Fife, which was run by the Christian Brothers, St Joseph's in Tranent, East Lothian, and St Ninian's at Gartmore, Stirlingshire. Centres run by the Church of Scotland are also being investigated.

She appealed for people with information about abuse to contact the inquiry, which is expected to last four years, with the first public hearings to begin in May. The senior judge said 170 people had contacted the inquiry by last June, and many more had done so since.

Lady Smith added: "Whatever you have to contribute, we want to hear it. We are determined to find out the truth about what happened to children in care, where, how and why.

"We want to find out why the abuse was not prevented, why it was not stopped and what needs to be done to protect children in care in the future.”

She said the inquiry had so far identified more than 100 locations, but was aware that there were “many more than that”.

She also revealed that the inquiry had started taking statements from alleged victims last spring.

The remit of the inquiry is to investigate the nature and extent of the abuse of children in care settings in Scotland within "the living memory of any who provides information about it, up to December 2014".

However, she also made clear that it had "no power" to award "monetary compensation" and was not a substitute for criminal proceedings.

 

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