Closing submissions from Mr Brown, solicitor Paul Reid GC on behalf of Merchiston Castle School, and Mr John Edward on behalf of Scottish Council of Independent Schools.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 271 (27 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from Chair of the Board of Governors and former pupil Gareth Baird and former headmaster Jonathan Anderson.

Boarding school head regrets failings over abuse
The headmaster of a leading boarding school [Jonathan Anderson] has acknowledged that a failure to root out child abuse has had a “profound and damaging” impact on the lives of former pupils. Jonathan Anderson, who took over at £35,00-a-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh in 2018, said yesterday that his experience of hearing and giving evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry had taught him that victims remained troubled by their experiences “for ever”.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 270 (26 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from former headmaster Andrew Hunter.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 269 (25 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from school inspectors Marion Crawford and the read-in evidence of school inspector Iain Lamb.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 268 (21 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from Merchiston assistant masters “Glenn (QZA)” and “Jane (QTL)”, and the read-in evidence of Merchiston assistant masters Marion Muetzelfeldt and Peter Hall.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 267 (20 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from Merchiston assistant masters Maria Victoria Prini-Garcia and “Robert (QZL)”, and the read-in evidence of Merchiston assistant master “Nicola (DFX)”—AKA “Laura (RCQ)” in the SCAI’s final report—and headmaster David Spawforth.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 266 (19 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from former pupil and subsequent Chaplain and assistant master “James (CDR)” and assistant master Gordon Cruden, and the read-in evidence of assistant masters Stephen Campbell and Nicholas Diver.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 265 (18 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from witness (Ian) FPU, and the read-in evidence of former pupils “Craig (CCB)” and “Edward (CDS)”, and parents “Diane (KJV)”, “Jenny (FWQ)” and “Catherine (FHS)”.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 264 (13 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from former pupils “John Crawford (HYD)”, “Mark (CCY)”, and “William (CBM)”.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 263 (12 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from former pupils “Gerald (BRG)”, “Graham (CCL)”, and “Jack (CCZ)”.
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 262 (11 January 2022)
Evidence was heard from former pupils “John (CCG)” and “James (BLQ)”.

Headteacher of £35,000-a-year Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh tells child sex abuse inquiry it’s not fair to blame all-boys’ schools for ‘predatory culture’ among young men
Merchiston Castle School – SCAI Hearing Transcript – Day 217 (30 March 2021)
Evidence was heard from Mr Jonathan Anderson, Headmaster of Merchiston Castle School.

Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry Hearings: Phase 6 announcement: Residential child care provision at boarding schools
This announcement provides information about a future Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) case study. Beginning in summer 2020, phase 6 will investigate provision at boarding schools.



