Children lived in 'state of fear' at boarding school - inquiry

A recent view of Keil School, which closed in 2000 and now lies dilapidated

Children at a former boarding school in the west of Scotland lived in a "permanent state of fear" from extreme abuse that in some cases amounted to "torture", an inquiry has found.

Both teachers and older pupils at Keil School, Dumbarton, subjected boys - and later girls - to beating, mocking and sexual abuse over five decades.

The most significant cases of abuse by staff were in the 1980s and 1990s by William Bain - who sexually abused boys "on an almost daily basis" - and "predatory paedophile" David Gutteridge.

The findings were published by Lady Smith, who is chairing the Scottish Child Abuse inquiry.

In her summary, she said: "Protection of the reputation of the school was prioritised over the interests of children; that was a disgraceful abdication of responsibility."

Evidence was heard from former pupils, staff and a trustee at the school, which closed in 2000.

The making of a 'tough school'

In the aftermath of World War Two, Keil School attempted to grow in the 1950s.

Lady Smith said the goal depended on having enough fee-paying pupils but was "never met".

She said that inadequate funding was an ever-present issue and one that "impacted negatively on life at the school".

As a result, she said daily tasks were delegated to pupils as a "cost-saving measure" and it was assumed that they could be trusted to look after the welfare of other children.

The chairwoman said this was a "serious mistake".

Lady Smith said Keil became a "tough school" where boys were expected to endure violence and suffer in silence.

She added: "Strong, successful rugby players usually had a happy existence, but it was tough for others such as, for example, the aesthete, the thinker, the actor, the musician, the quieter individual, or the child who liked individual sports."

A rugby match at Keil

Abusive practices became normalised in the late 1950s and remained so until the 1980s.

The inquiry also found sexual abuse continued into the 1990s.

That older boys were expected to discipline younger ones "created a risk of bullying and abuse".

Physical abuse ranged from "peeching" - using a plimsoll to administer beatings - to the withholding of food.

The report said boys also had their hands put over flames or boiling kettles in "what can only be described as torture".

Daily emotional abuse by mocking was common and personal property was likely to be damaged or destroyed.

Lady Smith said: "Some children lived in a permanent state of fear, made worse by the knowledge that staff were not interested or likely to intervene."

Employers 'not warned'

The West Dunbartonshire school became co-educational in 1978 and the report found girls were then sexually abused by teachers and boys.

Lady Smith said the risk of this was heightened by the school having failed to provide girls with secure accommodation or adequate oversight of their boarding house.

Physical abuse practices softened following the appointment of John Cummings as headmaster in 1993.

But sexual abuse continued, notably by teachers William Bain and David Gutteridge, in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.

The inquiry found a parent raised concern's about Bain's behaviour early on.

But it was allowed to persist after an "inadequate" investigation and a cover up by headmaster Christopher Tongue and other senior staff.

Bain, who taught physics, was jailed in 2016 for sexually abusing five boys, and was released in 2020.

He was arrested again following evidence given at the child abuse inquiry.

In June, Bain was sentenced to another nine years in prison for the sexual abuse of 11 boys over a 21-year period at several Scottish private schools.

Bain was arrested in October 2022 after evidence was given at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

Last year Gutteridge was jailed for 17 months for abusing a boy after luring him to a beauty spot during the 1990 summer holidays, a move Lady Smith described as "carefully engineered".

He was hired as an English teacher after abusing a boy while he taught in London in the 1980s - a crime for which he was only convicted in 2015.

The report also notes that the Keil School housemaster Ian Graham "stands out and is remembered for his sadistic brutality".

Lady Smith said he conducted mass beatings and used the belt "excessively" and "in situations where corporal punishment was never merited".

The physics lab at Keil School

Overall, she called the school's employment practices "deficient".

"Teachers known to have abused children were not disciplined," the report said.

"Unsuitable staff were allowed to move on with supportive references.

"Prospective employers were not warned when they should have been."

The report also noted that the abuse at Keil School was similar "in many respects" to abuse at other boarding schools.

These included Loretto School, Morrison's Academy, Gordonstoun, Queen Victoria School, Merchiston Castle School, and the boarding schools run by two male religious orders, the Benedictines and the Marist Brothers.

Factors behind the abuse were also similar such as staff who lacked skills and training, inappropriate recruitment policies, insufficient oversight of pupils and teachers and powers being given to older pupils.

The inquiry continues.