Gordonstoun abuse ‘flourished unchecked for decades’

Child abuse at Gordonstoun School – where the future King Charles was educated – was allowed to flourish unchecked for decades, an inquiry has ruled.

Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has published her findings into residential care for children at the Moray school and its associated junior school, Aberlour.

She concluded that children who boarded at both establishments were exposed to risks of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse – and that for many those risks materialised.

Lady Smith said: “I have no difficulty in finding that children were abused at Gordonstoun and Aberlour in a variety of ways over a long period of time.”

The school apologised to anyone who was abused while in its care.

Lady Smith said the factors which led to the abuse included failures to prioritise child protection and insufficient oversight of pupils and teachers.

Gordonstoun was founded in 1934 by a German Jewish educationist, Kurt Hahn, after he fled the Nazis. His aim was to create well-rounded citizens, with a focus on life skills and service as much as academic achievement.

“It was assumed the declaration of good intentions by founder Kurt Hahn was enough to ensure the school could be entrusted to provided appropriate residential care,” Lady Smith said.

“At Gordonstoun, the assumption proved to be ill-founded, largely due to poor leadership.”

She went on: “It was only after 1990 and the appointment of a headmaster who understood the importance of pastoral care that abuse eventually began to be addressed and a measure of trust was restored.

“A dreadfully abusive and, in some houses, extremely violent culture was allowed to take root.

“Abuse was also perpetrated by staff. The evidence of abuse was clear from the accounts of many applicants.”

Lady Smith said there had been a similar culture of “assumption and naivety” at Aberlour from the 1960s to the 1990s.

She said this had been exacerbated by the long and unchallenged leadership at the school.

“There was a significant failure of governance with no interest in child protection or pastoral care until the 1990s,” she added.

Lady Smith highlighted the case of former Gordonstoun teacher Andrew Keir.

Keir was jailed for a year in 2018 for lewd acts involving pupils at swimming sessions.

The former physics teacher was described as a “predatory paedophile” by Lady Smith.

“Under the guise of being friendly and caring, he groomed boys with a view to satisfying his sexual desires,” she said.

“His behaviour was known about by the boys. The school was also aware but failed to act.”

She said six other teachers sexually abused children between the 1960s and 1990s.

Gordonstoun said it offered a “heartfelt and sincere apology to all those who suffered at the school”.

Principal Lisa Kerr, in an open letter, said: “Today’s report is upsetting, and it is shocking to read of the abuse that children in the past experienced and the enduring impact on their lives 30, 40 or even 50 years later.

“We respect and thank those who have spoken up about their experiences and those who gave evidence to the Inquiry.

“Since reports of historic abuse came to our attention in 2013, we have taken a proactive approach, addressing matters openly and offering whatever support possible.

“Lady Smith acknowledges Gordonstoun’s recognition of the need to avoid putting its head in the sand, to acknowledge the reality of past abuse, and to respond.”

The statement added: “We must never be complacent; instead, we are always seeking to learn and improve. This is no more than the children in our care today deserve, and it is the least we can do to honour those survivors whose testimony led to today’s important report.”

One former pupil, John Findlay, has previously called for Gordonstoun to set up a trust to help those who suffered abuse access mental health treatment.

Mr Findlay, who waived his right to anonymity, said the boarding school should take responsibility for abuse he and others suffered at Aberlour House.

Mr Findlay told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry he was sexually abused by a teacher in 1990 at the age of 12.

At that time it was considered a prep school for Gordonstoun. The schools later merged.

Earlier this year, King Charles become patron of the Gordonstoun Association, a role previously held by his father Prince Philip, who also attended the school.

It marked the King’s first official link with the institution, which he attended from 1962 to 1967.

In letters from his school years, he wrote that he disliked his time at Gordonstoun and struggled to cope in the tough environment. He has, however, often played this down since.

During a House of Lords speech in 1975, he said: “It was only tough in the sense that it demanded more of you as an individual than most other schools did – mentally or physically.

“I am lucky in that I believe it taught me a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities. It taught me to accept challenges and take the initiative.”