The parents of a child who had his wrists and ankles bound together with cable ties by a private school teacher have expressed their dismay that he was cleared by a sheriff and is continuing to teach. Richard Robin Greenwood was found guilty of assaulting the seven-year-old boy following a three-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. However, Sheriff Peter McCormack admonished Greenwood and granted him an absolute discharge, saying the court proceedings had been a “lesson learned”.
Greenwood is the lead teacher of chemistry at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh which is Scotland’s only all-boys independent boarding school. He studied chemistry at Imperial College in London and spent six years working in the agrochemical industry before going into teaching in 2008.
As head teacher of Scotland’s last remaining all-boys school, Huw Jones believes instilling emotional resilience is key to tackling toxic masculinity… Mr Jones said: “There is a crisis. But my personal take is we’re viewing that crisis the wrong way. “I don’t think boys are broken, or men are broken. I think there’s a real lack of identity, belonging and connection, particularly in men and boys and that manifests itself in a lack of self-esteem.”
A report into the exclusive Merchiston Castle School has concluded that for 60 years, “abusers were protected by tradition”. Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry chairwoman Lady Smith has published her findings on the provision of residential care at the Edinburgh boarding school, concluding that over almost six decades, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
A boys-only private school has been criticised for a culture which involved “dreadful abuse” of children almost continuously for six decades. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry report into Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh found that from the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
Abuse at a boarding school for boys in Edinburgh was “normalised for generations”, the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has said. Lady Smith published her findings on Wednesday relating to the provision of residential care for children at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
The leader of the Scottish Family Party is suing the private Edinburgh school where he used to teach, accusing it of reneging on a deal over reduced school fees for his sons when he agreed to leave. Richard Lucas was a maths teacher at Merchiston Castle School for 23 years but says the school wanted him to go because it was unhappy about his comments outside school on matters such as abortion, sexuality and transgender issues.
A group of survivors who gave evidence on the abuse they suffered at private schools have called on the first minister to dismiss the judge leading the inquiry. Lady Smith, who is chairing the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has been accused of “thinly veiled favouritism” towards independent schools. The letter, from 28 former pupils, urges John Swinney to remove her from her role.
Former Edinburgh SNP councillor Alison Dickie, together with ex-Labour councillor Bill Cook, whistleblower Christine Scott and former teacher Neil McLennan have lodged a petition at the Scottish Parliament, pressing for a public investigation into the alleged mishandling of unresolved child abuse and child protection concerns; a national whistleblowing officer for education and children’s services; and closure of “serious gaps” in the current Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
John Halley, 59, was arrested on 15 February after a police search at an address in Caddonfoot, near Galashiels. He was appointed as a lead junior counsel by former inquiry chairwoman Susan O’Brien KC. He worked on the inquiry until October 2016.
Shamed rugby star Rufus McLean was a poster boy for his former private school, we can reveal. A picture of the domestic abuser playing for Scotland against Tonga was the main image on the hall of fame page on Merchiston Castle’s website… In February 2021, McLean, 22, who left the secondary in 2018, was described as a “first class” role model and interviewed on the site. Pupils were invited to watch a live webcast to hear about his journey “from Merchiston Juniors to the Scotland team”.
Independent boys’ school, Merchiston has announced it will open a co-educational forest Pre-School and Junior School to meet the booming demand for outdoor learning for younger children. Merchiston has a large wooded campus, and The Forest pre-school will open in September 2024 for children aged 3-5. At the same time The Forest co-educational Junior school will accept Primary 1 to Primary 3s in Sept 2024 (with the Junior School being fully co-educational by 2030).
A senior judge was acting beyond her powers to prevent the BBC from fully reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, an appeal court has ruled. Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), passed orders stopping detail of an employment tribunal claim being reported. A judicial review of the orders brought by the BBC backed Lady Smith’s move. But the appeal court has now ruled she “had no power” to make the orders.
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”.
One of Scotland’s most prestigious boarding schools failed to discipline an abusive housemaster for 15 years, an inquiry heard yesterday. Andrew Hunter, who became head of Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School in 1998, admitted in email exchanges that he had become aware of James Rainy Brown’s actions that year.
Former pupils at a Scottish boarding school have told how they were touched inappropriately and received brutal beatings in scenes akin to Lord of the Flies. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry heard evidence that teachers at Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh, one of the country’s most expensive private schools, mistreated the children.
A TOTAL of 30 Scottish primary schools have been named by a whistle-blowing website which is dedicated to exposing “rape culture” in education. Everyone’s Invited is a website which aims to be a safe place for survivors to share their stories in their own words completely anonymously. It has had thousands of entries from young people as they told their stories about times they endured sexual assault and harassment at school.
A senior judge was right to prevent the BBC from fully reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has ruled… Lord Boyd has now ruled that the order covered material that was sensitive and required “to be protected”, and that in those circumstances Lady Smith was able and “bound to make the order”.
The head of a boys-only independent boarding school has told an inquiry that concerns of a “predatory culture” are an issue for all schools. Jonathan Anderson, headmaster at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, said it was “not fair” to single out boys-only schools over the issue. Giving evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, Anderson said his school had done a “harrowing” review of files and accepted there may have been abuse between 1930, when the school moved to Colinton, and 2014.
For Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, lawyer, Paul Reid said that, with hindsight, it was clear that warning signs had been missed and “it was clear with at least one former member of staff the dots were never to be joined.” Mr Reid offered the school’s “unreserved apology. The school profoundly regrets and sincerely apologises for the fact that such experiences were endured by some pupils,” he said.
A senior judge was right to limit the reporting of a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has been told. The BBC is challenging a decision by Lady Smith, chairwoman of the inquiry, to stop details of an employment tribunal against her being aired.
A senior judge prevented the BBC from properly reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has been told. The Court of Session heard how Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), faced an employment tribunal claim in 2019. Lady Smith passed orders which stopped detail of the action being reported.
A man who was jailed for 18 months in 2015 for sexually assaulting young boys 30 years ago has been found to have carried out further acts in the 1990s. While Torquil Charles Johnson Ferguson, of Solwaybank, Chapel Knowe, Canonbie, was unfit to stand trial, an examination of the facts hearing went ahead last week in Oban Sheriff Court.
Hearings in 2020 will focus on seven schools including Fettes College, Gordonstoun, Loretto School and Merchiston Castle School. Lady Smith, who leads the inquiry, has urged people affected by abuse in these establishments to contribute evidence. It will come after the current phase on care experiences involving male religious orders.
A teacher who had sex with boys at a top boarding school should have been publicly named as her misconduct represented the ‘highest end of severity’—according to a lawyer for the profession’s regulator.
A teacher at a £29,000 Scottish residential school has agreed to be struck off after having sex with pupils on the premises. But Scotland’s teaching watchdog has been criticised over the case after it agreed to keep the name of the teacher and school secret.
The head teacher of £29,000-a-year Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh apologised as his former colleague was struck off for romps with teenagers.
A teacher at one of Scotland’s leading private schools has been struck off after she admitted having sex with teenage pupils. The unnamed woman said she had had repeated liaisons with a number of boys at the school in Edinburgh between 2014 and 2015. The pupils involved were aged between 17 and 18.
A second charge stated that: ‘During the 2014/15 session, you did on school premises, repeatedly engage in sexual intercourse with male pupils who were then aged between 17 and 18 years. ‘During February 2015, you did repeatedly send by electronic means, videos of a sexually explicit nature to a male pupil. It was added that the teacher also communicated with pupils over a Facebook group created by pupils called Organised Bullying.
The 34-year-old woman was thrown out of the profession following a police probe at all-boys Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. Fees for boarders can run to £29,000 a year and famous former pupils include Scotland rugby star Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.
The last remaining original panel member on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has resigned, prompting further concerns from abuse survivors that it is in crisis.
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.
More than 60 residential care establishments for youngsters are being investigated by the team working on Scotland’s national child abuse inquiry. Lady Smith, the inquiry chairwoman, has revealed they are among more than 100 locations where the abuse of children is alleged to have taken place. Boarding schools, institutions run by religious orders and local authorities are among the establishments being probed.
Two top public schools attended by Prince Charles and Tony Blair are being investigated by a major national inquiry into child abuse. Gordonstoun, the alma mater of the heir to the throne, and Fettes College – where the former Labour Prime Minister was a pupil – both feature in the statutory probe. Other private schools under investigation include Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Loretto School in Musselburgh and Morrison’s Academy in Crieff.
Ian Balfour Paul, who has died aged 94, devoted 51 very fulfilling years to Merchiston Castle school, Edinburgh, as a housemaster, schoolmaster and self-styled odd-job man. “BP” was held in affection by the whole Merchiston community and was the inspiration for many future careers.
A teacher found guilty of sexual offences at a private school in Edinburgh is now working with children at an educational institution in England. Gordon Cruden was found guilty of exposing himself in front of teenage boys, but continues to work with children as a French teacher at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire.
A group which campaigns for victims of child abuse have attacked a Scottish sheriff’s decision to give a teacher guilty of indecent exposure an absolute discharge. Helen Holland of the In Care Abuse Survivors Scotland (INCAS) said it was “disgusting” that Gordon Cruden was not adequately punished for the offences at the elite Merchiston Castle school in Edinburgh.
A teacher found guilty of sexual offences at a top private school in Edinburgh is still working in classrooms with children at another school in England.
Gordon Cruden, who taught at the exclusive Merchiston Castle, exposed himself in front of teenage boys at the school but escaped any punishment in December after a trial despite being found guilty.
Merchiston Castle School, where the day pupil fees are £21,495 per year, requires additional support according to Education Scotland. The school’s Board of Governors with its newly appointed Chair, Gareth Baird, is to work with the Independent Schools Link Inspector to make further improvements and monitor progress. The latest inspection report demands that the school works on ensuring that pupils feel able to report concerns in a safe environment.
Police are probing claims a former female teacher at a top private school in Edinburgh had inappropriate relationships with pupils. Merchiston Castle, which is already co-operating with an investigation into claims of historical abuse, contacted the single force over alleged behaviour that is said to have occurred more recently. Earlier this year, the Care Inspectorate “identified concerns about the quality of child protection practice” at the elite school.
Two men have been charged in connection with allegations of historical abuse at one of Scotland’s top independent schools. Police Scotland confirmed they have been carrying out inquiries into the claims at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. The allegations at the all-boys school date back to the 1960s.
Two men in their sixties, believed to be ex-staff members, have been charged as a result of a police investigation relating to the exclusive Merchiston Castle school in Edinburgh. Based in Colinton in the south west of the city, Merchiston Castle is Scotland’s only all-boys independent boarding school.
A businessman convicted of indecent practices with young boys at an activity centre on an island in the Firth of Lorn has been jailed. Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, 65, from Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway, abused three boys aged 13 or under at the Rua Fiola centre.
The owner of a children’s adventure holiday island was jailed for 18 months yesterday after a sheriff ruled he had “abused his position of power” when he groped young boys in his care. Oban Sheriff Court heard Torquil Johnson-Ferguson suffered a heart attack after he was convicted of abusing three youngsters who attended his outdoor courses in the 1980s.
An adventure island owner accused of abusing boys told a court there was “nothing devious” about him changing his appearance before an identity parade. Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, of Solwaybank, Chapel Knowe, Canonbie, in Dumfriesshire, had his long hair cut before the line-up his trial at Oban Sheriff Court was told earlier.
A witness in a child sex abuse trial yesterday denied making up an allegation that he was groped by the leader of a summer camp because he was “awestruck” by his alleged attacker. The man, now aged 44, told Oban Sheriff Court he was abused by Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, 65, the owner of a west coast adventure island, more than 30 years ago.
A recent inspection at Merchiston Castle School in Colinton has confirmed that improvements already identified by the school now need urgent attention according to the report issued today by Education Scotland. In October 2014, Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate carried out a short notice care and welfare inspection at the school.
A man has been accused of sexually abusing boys over a 30-year period on a remote island near Oban. The case against Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, 65, of Solwaybank, Chapel Knowe, Canonbie, Dumfries and Galloway, called at Oban Sheriff Court yesterday.
SUMMER school director Torquil Johnson-Ferguson, 65, who ran the Rua Fiola centre on the island of Lunga, off the west coast of Scotland, has resigned.
Torquil Johnson-Ferguson owns the island of Lunga and has been charged with ‘lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour’ The owner of a Scottish island who organised summer activities for youngsters has been charged with child sex offences, reports the Sunday People.
A TEACHER found dead as police investigated claims of “inappropriate conduct” towards pupils left £1 million to the private boys school where he worked. James Rainy Brown, 75, who had taught for 52 years at Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School, hanged himself at his home after being told of the inquiry into his alleged actions.
A teacher who was found dead as police investigated claims of his “inappropriate conduct” towards pupils has left almost £1 million to his school in his will. James Rainy Brown, 75, who had worked for 52 years at fee-paying Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, hanged himself at his home shortly after being told of the investigation.
Every so often in the life of a school there is a teacher who has the natural gift to inspire and influence the lives of its pupils over several generations. James Rainy Brown, or “JRB” as he was known to staff, pupils, parents and friends, was one of these rare and gifted schoolmasters.
Bachelor James Rainy Brown, 75, who had worked for 52 years at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, hanged himself at his home shortly after being told of the investigation. It is understood the claims involved lewd and inappropriate comments to pupils rather than physical abuse. Mr Brown had been a respected member of staff at the school, which charges fees of up to £26,655 a year.
A swathe of Scotlandʼs top private schools–including Gordonstoun, Fettes College, Loretto and Merchiston Castle—will be subject to investigations by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
The third of the four sons of John William Balfour Paul and Muriel Monteith, Ian Valentine Balfour Paul was born in 1916 in Bournemouth and educated at Wellington College and Pembroke College, Cambridge…He had the gift of making people think they had a friendship with him that was special, unique, perhaps even exclusive, and a love of words and wit…There are many boys whose best memories of Merchiston will be the annual Scout camp at Blakerstone in Berwickshire, the Christmas ski parties on the Continent or the birdwatching and ringing expeditions in Scotland, Denmark and Scandinavia.
Ian Balfour Paul, who has died aged 94, served with the “Phantoms” and won an MC for his bravery in the battles of Normandy, Walcheren and the Rhine Crossing; a gifted schoolmaster, he had a profound influence on generations of pupils…He was a lifelong bachelor, but loved the company of women. He was childless, yet he was wonderful with children….Ian Balfour Paul had a deep Christian faith which found expression in his zest for life and in many acts of kindness.
Mr Paul enjoyed 51 years at the school from 1939 until 1990, initially teaching biology before going on to become housemaster and then schoolmaster. Mr Paul, who was affectionately know as “BP”, devoted his life to teaching at the school, where his interests in naturalism, ornithology, photography, scouting and philosophy inspired his pupils to follow their hobbies and interests.
BALFOUR PAUL Ian (Gatehouse of Fleet) Peacefully, in Dumfries Infirmary, on June 16, 2010, Ian, aged 94, dearly loved brother, uncle, family member, friend and cherished school master at Merchiston Castle School for 51 years.
The OSCR criticised the four [schools] for charging high fees while failing to provide to enough bursaries for children from poorer families. It said it expected to see changes within 12 months. If the schools lose their charitable status, and their entitlements to tax and rate rebates, it is likely that fees would have to rise to cover the shortfall.
