Probe launched into allegations of historic abuse at boarding school

Loretto School is under investigation months after it was concluded that former pupils had been subjected to sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

Police investigating allegations of historical sexual and physical abuse at Loretto School in East Lothian — Loretto School: The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry found that a small number of staff abused children STV News

Holly Lennon

24th Jan 2024

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Police are investigating allegations of historical sexual and physical abuse at Scotland’s oldest boarding school.

Loretto School in East Lothian is under investigation months after it was concluded that former pupils had been subjected to sexual, physical and emotional abuse for several decades.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) found that a small number of staff at Loretto abused children, including the late Guy Ray-Hills, a French teacher at junior school the Nippers between 1951 and 1967, who Lady Smith described as a “prolific sexual predator”.

She concluded that another teacher groomed a final year pupil, and four other teachers were reported to have touched children inappropriately or made sexual comments that were offensive and upsetting to pupils.

Following the inquiry, Loretto School reaffirmed its “unreserved apology” and deep regret for the hurt and pain suffered, and said the wellbeing of pupils in its care remains its “highest priority”.

Police Scotland is now looking into the claims spanning over four decades up to 2018.

A spokesperson said: “An investigation is ongoing into non-recent physical and sexual abuse at a school in Musselburgh, East Lothian.”