Top public schools apologise after ‘brutal and unrestrained’ historical abuse of pupils including beatings with cricket bat, sadistic punishments and horrific sexual assaults
- Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College in Scotland are being investigated
- The inquiry heard evidence from nearly 50 witnesses including Nicky Campbell
Two of Scotland’s top private schools yesterday apologised after an inquiry heard of the ‘brutal and unrestrained’ historical abuse of pupils.
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was given harrowing closing submissions as part of its investigation into Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College.
The inquiry heard that 20 teaching staff at Edinburgh Academy were subject to allegations, including a child being beaten with a cricket bat, another pupil suffering a ‘bleed on the brain’, a youngster being strangled and boys being paid to swim naked.
Most of the evidence covered the years between 1954 and 1995, with submissions from nearly 50 witnesses, including broadcaster Nicky Campbell.
The Scot fought back tears as he told the inquiry of the abuse he and fellow classmates suffered at the hands of former teacher Iain Wares and other masters at the school.
Emotional: Nicky Campbell told of the horrific abuse he and his classmates suffered
Two of Scotland’s top private schools yesterday apologised after an inquiry heard of the ‘brutal and unrestrained’ historical abuse of pupils. Pictured: Edinburgh Academy
The 62-year-old likened Wares to paedophile television presenter Jimmy Savile, saying: ‘Savile was on everyone’s minds at the BBC. Savile’s opportunities were one-to-one. Iain Wares’ was one-to-20 boys.’
Corporal punishment was banned in Scottish private schools in 2000, but the inquiry has heard how ‘disproportionate sadistic violence’ was rife at Edinburgh Academy in the 1970s and a ‘culture of fear’ prevailed.
Wares was described by a lawyer for survivors as ‘one of the most prolific abusers in Scottish criminal history’.
Police Scotland confirmed it is investigating allegations relating to the school. In an apology, Edinburgh Academy acknowledged past ‘brutal and unrestrained’ violence and ‘serious sexual abuse’.
It also expressed regret that police were not brought in to deal with Wares in the 1970s. He was instead recommended to Fettes College.
He and fellow teacher Hamish Dawson, who died in 2009, were publicly named during the inquiry.
Fettes College also issued an apology for allowing Wares to continue working there. Both schools said they are implementing mandatory reporting, while the General Teaching Council for Scotland said it should be ‘an opportunity for learning’.
Andrew Brown, KC, senior counsel to the inquiry, said Edinburgh Academy had a ‘military mindset’ at the time and the ‘normalisation of deeply abnormal behaviour including beatings and voyeurism’ was aided by ‘staff camaraderie’.
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was given harrowing closing submissions as part of its investigation into Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College (pictured)
Abuse: Nicky Campbell as a boy
Alan McLean, KC, representing the Edinburgh Academy Survivors group, said nine former pupils took their own lives, adding: ‘Other schools did not operate like this – corporal punishment was a threat. This was a characteristic of Edinburgh Academy.’
In the mid-1990s a bid to introduce child protection training was described as an ‘irritant’ and ‘depressing’ by some staff, the hearing was told.
The academy, which became a co-education day school in 2008, has promised to recognise child abuse in its bicentenary celebrations in 2024-25 and has created an online reporting portal for pupils.
Mr McLean added: ‘Edinburgh Academy failed its pupils in terrible ways. It was accepted from victims that disproportionate, sadistic corporal punishment was rife in the 1970s.
‘Punishment was for inability rather than breaking the rules.’
He said Dawson’s ‘unusual methods of punishment were celebrated when he retired’, and described Wares perpetrating ‘sadistic violence of a sexual nature’.
He also told the inquiry how staff would watch pupils in the showers. Mr McLean added: ‘Pupil-on-pupil sexual abuse took place.’
The long-term impact had left pupils with PTSD, depression, failed marriages and trust issues, he told the hearing. Fettes College apologised for allowing Wares to continue teaching after it considered sacking him in 1975, but was dissuaded by a psychiatrist.
Campbell fought back tears as he told the inquiry of the abuse he and fellow classmates suffered at the hands of former teacher Iain Wares (pictured) and other masters at the school
Wares was dismissed in 1979 and moved to South Africa.
Graeme Watson, speaking on behalf of the school, said: ‘Fettes accepts it should have terminated his employment immediately.
‘The school is truly sorry and this is a full and unreserved apology for the abuse.’
Representing Edinburgh Academy, Calum McNeill, KC, said: ‘Physical abuse was brutal and unrestrained, it was not acceptable at the time, even though the use of corporal punishment was legal. It is clear beatings took place which were not punishment… serious sexual abuse was widespread and continued undetected.’
In a statement, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, KC, said she was ‘acutely aware’ of the frustration over the time taken to extradite Wares to Scotland, and he had ‘exercised his right to appeal’.
She said: ‘Appeal procedure in South Africa is different in timescale and approach to here. It would not be appropriate to comment further on that process.’
The inquiry continues.
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