'Dreadful abuse' at Edinburgh boarding school for boys 'normalised for generations'

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.

Founded in Edinburgh in 1828, the school is Scotland’s only all-boys independent day and boarding school.

The inquiry found aspects of the boarding provision for children at Merchiston involved “dreadful abuse “perpetrated by members of staff and by other pupils.

Lady Smith concluded that from the 1950s and into the second decade of the 21st century, abusive behaviour perpetrated by two particular teachers became “normalised” for generations of boys.

Pupils were subjected to various forms of abuse in both the boarding and school environments by members of staff and by other pupils.

Lady Smith found these incidents of abuse went “largely unchecked”.

It was found that children who boarded at Merchiston were exposed to risks of suffering sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

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, lewd and libidinous practices and, in the case of the female member of staff, it included encouraging senior pupils to engage in sexual intercourse with her.”

A lack of school supervision over decades, particularly up to 1980, allowed a bullying culture, often combining violence and emotional abuse, to flourish amongst the boys.

Pupils who were different in some respect and so did not fit the Merchiston mould were vulnerable to being abused, and such children were often abused, particularly by being bullied.

A particular difference that rendered a child vulnerable was lack of sporting ability.

Merchiston was a school with a strong sporting tradition, particularly in rugby, and that made such a child all the more vulnerable.

Abuse could also arise because of social status, physical differences, or between those who had boarded at a prep school so already knew the boarding system, and those who had not arrived at the school via that route.

Lady Smith said: “For decades, differences – particularly those that made children vulnerable went unnoticed by the school and staff.

“A ‘one-size fits all’ approach was not good enough – not all children did fit and that was not their fault

“The Merchiston culture, where toughness in adversity was encouraged, facilitated and exacerbated abuse.”

By the early 2000s, Merchiston thought itself a “leader in the child protection field”, but Lady Smith found inadequate and insufficiently critical inspection reports failed to identify inherent flaws.

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, or potential trends, were repeatedly missed. References were badly handled and child protection concerns ignored.

“Abusers, and potential abusers, were sometimes protected by tradition, long service, or governor loyalty.”

Following a negative inspection report, Merchiston was made subject to special measures by the Scottish Government.

It responded to that report and the imposition of special measures – as it had to do – and was well led in that by its board of governors. Policies were corrected and became meaningful.

Lady Smith said: “Applicants and other witnesses continue to come forward to the Inquiry with relevant evidence about boarding schools and this will be considered as part of a continuing process.

“I would encourage anyone who has relevant information on any aspect of our work to get in touch with our witness support team. We want to hear from you.”

School apologises to children ‘badly let down’ by abuse

Merchiston Castle School apologised to those who faced abuse following the publication of the report into the school.

Jonathan Anderson, headmaster, offered a “profound and sincere apology” to all former pupils who suffered at the school in an open letter.

He wrote: “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 Merchiston Castle 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.

“Policies were thoroughly reviewed and are now deeply embedded in the daily operation of the school. Our HR procedures were strengthened and staff training and recruitment practices were enhanced. As a result, transparency and candour, essential in ensuring the safety of young people, have now become key cultures in the school.

“We are encouraged that Lady Smith’s Report notes that the school has learned and demonstrated a capacity to reflect meaningfully on its past to work constructively toward a better future. This includes contributing to broader conversations about how safeguarding, inspection, and regulation can be improved across the boarding school sector.

“We also understand how important it can be for survivors to know how things have changed. Lady Smith’s report highlights our most recent inspection in December 2021 that graded our leadership and support of children and young people’s wellbeing as ‘very good’.

“We remain committed to supporting the recommendations of the Inquiry, and in ensuring that the mistakes of the past are never repeated at Merchiston or, indeed, elsewhere.”