Fettes, Gordonstoun, Loretto and Merchiston Castle named among schools being probed in national child abuse inquiry

By Hilary Duncanson
Daily Record
January 31, 2017

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/fettes-gordonstoun-loretto-merchiston-castle-9728238

Fettes, Gordonstoun, Loretto and Merchiston Castle School are involved in the probe

Gordonstoun School charges more than £31,000 a year for boarders

Lady Smith is overseeing the inquiry into child sex abuse

Loretto, left, and Fettes College both charge more than £30,000 a year for a pupil to board

Merchiston Castle costs £29,000 a year on a boarding basis

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.

The schools specifically being investigated by inquiry staff are Fettes College, Gordonstoun, the former Keil School, Loretto School, Merchiston Castle School, and Morrison's Academy when it was a boarding school.

Some of the school named are amongst the costliest fee-paying educational establishments in Scotland.

The fees for Fettes and Gordonstoun are more than £31,000 a year for a boarder while Lotetto and Merchiston Castle are around £30,000.

Faith-based organisations being looked at include those run by religious orders including the Benedictines, Sisters of Nazareth and the Christian Brothers.

The inquiry is also investigating the relationship between the Catholic Church in Scotland and these religious orders, as well as three establishments run by the Church of Scotland.

Lady Smith named the list of places being probed as she provided an update on its progress during a preliminary hearing in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is examining historical allegations of the abuse of children in care and has been taking statements from witnesses since the spring of last year.

Lady Smith told the hearing at Parliament House that the inquiry is "determined to get to the bottom of any systemic failures that occurred".

She appealed to anyone with relevant evidence to come forward and speak to the inquiry.

"We are determined to find out the truth about what happened to children in care, where, how and why," she said.

"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."