Children at King’s former boarding school exposed to ‘extremely violent culture’
Abuse inquiry publishes findings
CHILDREN at King Charles’s former school were abused over a long period of time with an “extremely violent culture” in some boarding houses, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) has found.
Lady Smith, chair of the inquiry, published her findings relating to the provision of residential care for children at Gordonstoun, Moray, and its associated junior school, Aberlour, yesterday.
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.”
She added: “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 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 provide appropriate residential care,” Lady Smith said.
“At Gordonstoun, the assumption proved to be ill-founded, largely due to poor leadership.”
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.
The SCAI covers the period within living memory of any person who suffered such abuse, up until December 17, 2014.
Earlier this year, King Charles became patron of the Gordonstoun Association, a role previously held by his father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who also attended the school.
In letters from his school years, he wrote that he disliked his time at Gordonstoun and struggled to cope in the tough environment.