Scotland’s most prestigious boarding schools at centre of major investigation into allegations of sex crimes against children

Some of Scotland’s top private schools are being investigated by a national inquiry into child abuse. Gordonstoun–Prince Charles’s former school–and Fettes College, where Tony Blair was a pupil, feature in the statutory probe.

Others include Merchiston Castle and Loretto, Scotland’s oldest boarding school.

They are among more than 60 residential care establishments identiifed as sites of alleged child abuse or neglect.

Lady Smith, chairman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, yesterday revealed a list of organisations under scrutiny, including the Catholic Church and Barnardo’s.

The judge said: ‘We are investigating what reports of abuse were made, whether any such reports of abuse were known about in ofifcial circles, what was done about them and, if nothing was done, why not? If abuse was known about but covered up, we will not hesitate to say so.’

More than 100 locations where abuse is said to have taken place have been pinpointed by the inquiry, launched by the Scottish Government in October 2015.

Andrew Keir, a retired physics teacher at Gordonstoun in Moray, has appeared in court charged with acting in a lewd and indecent manner towards two 13-year-old pupils in the 1980s.

Gordonstoun said: ‘Cases of non-recent abuse must be unimaginably distressing for the victims and their families.

The work the inquiry is undertaking will, we hope, draw important lessons from the past and make children safer in the future.’ Fettes College in Edinburgh said it ‘will assist fully’ with the inquiry.

In 2013, James Rainy Brown, 75, a teacher at Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh for 52 years, committed suicide after learning police were investigating claims of ‘inappropriate conduct’ towards pupils. The claims involved lewd comments, not physical offences.

Gordon Cruden, a former Merchiston Castle teacher, was found guilty in 2015 of three charges of indecent exposure at the school between 1980 and 1985.

He was given an absolute discharge and last year was reported to be teaching French at a boarding school in Oxfordshire.

Last night, a Merchiston Castle spokesman said: ‘We will be co-operating with the inquiry to the fullest possible extent.’

A spokesman for Loretto School in Musselburgh, East Lothian, said it had a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to abuse, adding: ‘It is truly heartbreaking to learn that similar standards may not have applied in the past.’ The now-closed Keil School in Dumbarton is also being investigated by the inquiry.

Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, Perthshire, where Trainspotting actor Ewan McGregor was a pupil, features in the inquiry because it was once a boarding school.

Last night, rector Gareth Warren said the school had ‘not received any direct complaint, so the team at Morrison’s Academy is not aware of the nature of any complaint’.

Lady Smith told a hearing at Parliament House in Edinburgh yesterday the inquiry was ‘determined to get to the bottom of any systemic failures that occurred’.

She added: ‘We are determined to ifnd out the truth about what happened to children in care, where, how and why.

‘We want to ifnd 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.’

Lady Smith said 170 people had contacted the inquiry by June last year and ‘many more have done so since then’—but she would not give a ‘running commentary’ on the number coming forward.

Faith-based organisations under scrutiny include those run by Catholic orders including the Benedictines, the Sisters of Nazareth, the Christian Brothers, the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, the De La Salle Brothers and the Marist Brothers.

Church of Scotland-run establishments being probed are Ballikinrain School, Geilsland Residential School, and the Lord and Lady Polwarth Home for Children in Edinburgh.

The Catholic Church declined to comment last night. A Kirk spokesman said it was ‘co-operating fully with any requests for information’.

The inquiry is also looking at how children were treated at institutions run by ‘major care providers’ Quarriers, Barnardo’s, the Aberlour Child Care Trust and the Widower’s Children’s Home.

Eight children’s homes and secure units in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Fife are also being investigated.

In her ifrst public remarks since being appointed last summer, Lady Smith conifrmed child migrants will be included. Staff are working to identify and contact people in countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand who may have suffered abuse in Scotland, or after being sent abroad as part of past care arrangements.

Lady Smith insisted the inquiry is independent of Government, police and prosecutors. It covers the period within living memory of any person who has suffered abuse, but will not extend beyond December 17, 2014.

Panel member Glenn Houston said the inquiry is launching a publicity campaign to increase awareness about its work. He told the hearing: ‘A key message from today is that if you have experienced abuse in the care system or have evidence to give about what was happening to children in care, we are keen to hear from you.’ Alan Draper of In Care Abuse Survivors said ‘the SNP Government has failed survivors’. He added: ‘It is no surprise leading private schools are involved.

Indeed, the inquiry may well ifnd abuse was covered up at prestigious institutions to protect their reputations.’

The inquiry is expected to report within four years, offering recommendations to improve the law, policies and practices in Scotland.

The cost of the inquiry has risen to £3.5million—despite not yet having heard any public evidence.

‘Government has failed survivors’

Contact the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry by post at PO Box 24085, Edinburgh EH7 9EA; by email at information@childabuseinquiry.scot; or by calling freephone 0800 0929 300.