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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.
One of the “prolific abusers”, former pupil James Rainy Brown, took his own life after learning of a police investigation prompting a massive policy review in 2014, the report said.
The other, Mervyn Preston, had taught Rainy Brown as a pupil and the pair’s abuse became “normalised for generations of boys”, Lady Smith found. She branded a total of eight teachers as “abusers”.
The report said indecency occurred from the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century, however Lady Smith said that “by the early 2000s, Merchiston thought itself a leader in the child protection field”.
Lady Smith said “references were badly handled and child protection concerns ignored”, while voyeurism and indecent assaults were common.
She added: “Abusers, and potential abusers, were sometimes protected by tradition, long service, or governor loyalty.”
The findings, part of the inquiry’s overall boarding schools case study, found that “in common with Loretto School, Morrison’s Academy, Gordonstoun, and Queen Victoria School, children who boarded at Merchiston were exposed to risks of suffering sexual, physical and emotional abuse”.
Lady Smith concluded the two main perpetrators at Merchiston were “virtually untouchable”.
Lady Smith said: “From the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century, there was a more or less continuous line of consistent indecency perpetrated by two prolific abusers, Mervyn Preston and James Rainy Brown.
“The former taught the latter, who then returned to Merchiston as a teacher, after which they worked together. They engaged in abusive behaviour which became normalised for generations of boys.
“In the cases of both those men, their longstanding service and positions of power in boarding houses rendered them virtually untouchable.
“In total, eight teachers abused children sexually. Seven were male and one was female.
“Conduct included voyeurism, encouraging nudity, indecent exposure, indecent assaults, and in the case of the female, it included encouraging senior pupils to engage in sexual intercourse with her.”
She said the school’s strong culture of rugby and sport left those who did not fit in vulnerable to abuse and bullying.
Lady Smith said: “For decades, differences – particularly those that made children vulnerable – went unnoticed by the school and staff.
“The Merchiston culture, where toughness in adversity was encouraged, facilitated and exacerbated abuse.”
She said by the millennium, the school was “content to rely on positive but, in fact, inadequate and insufficiently critical” inspections, while “obvious abusive trends” were missed – until 2014 when an overhaul was forced due to a wider police inquiry.
But Lady Smith said: “All of that fell apart following the suicide of James Rainy Brown, after he had been told he was subject to police investigation.
“A new inspection regime from 2014, including a wider police inquiry, revealed many longstanding weaknesses in child protection and pastoral care.
“Policies and their implementation had been unsatisfactory. HR processes had been consistently poor and leadership weak although well intended.
“Concerning behaviour had been recorded, but obvious abusive trends were repeatedly missed.”
Following a poor inspection report in 2015, Merchiston was made subject to special measures by the Scottish Government.
It was obliged to respond, and Lady Smith said it was “well led by its board of governors” and policies “were corrected and became meaningful”.
Merchiston Castle School has issued an “unreserved apology”.
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Headmaster Jonathan Anderson and Gareth Baird, chairman of the board of governors, said in a statement: “Today’s report by Lady Smith is detailed, fair and, at times, a difficult read. It uncovers a history of unacceptable abuse suffered by many former pupils and highlights the enduring impact on their lives decades later.
“To all those who suffered abuse while in the care of Merchiston Castle School, we offer our most sincere and unreserved apology. No child should ever suffer harm, especially not in a place that exists to nurture and educate. Those who were abused by their teachers or their fellow pupils deserved better, and we are truly sorry that they were so badly let down.
“That sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children at our school was allowed to continue for so long is deeply upsetting and we respect and we thank our former pupils who had the courage and bravery to speak about their experiences in evidence to the inquiry.
“Their collective testimonies painted a picture of a school that fostered a culture of fear, bullying and abuse that is hard to fathom, and unrecognisable with the school that exists today.
“We fully accept these criticisms, we acknowledge these failures, and we recognise the deep and lasting harm that was caused. The school is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring the lessons of the past are fully learned.
“Safeguarding is our number one priority and the wellbeing of the young people in our care is of paramount importance to us.
“Following a negative inspection report in 2015, Merchiston was placed under special measures by the Scottish Government. This was a turning point and as Lady Smith recognises in her report, we responded promptly and decisively.”
