Former teacher accused of further 90 sex abuse charges

Iain Wares was granted bail when he appeared in court in Cape Town

A former teacher accused of historical sex abuse charges in Scotland has been arrested in South Africa on a further 90 charges.

Iain Wares, 86, has been accused of abuse by scores of former pupils of Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College, where he taught in the 1960s and 70s. They include BBC presenter Nicky Campbell.

Mr Wares now lives in Cape Town, where the High Court ruled in August last year that he could be extradited on three charges to face trial in Scotland.

But the extradition was delayed as UK authorities looked to submit further charges against him.

The new charges have been lodged by 65 people who were allegedly sexually and physically abused by Mr Wares in Scotland.

Victims have accused Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College of failing to alert the authorities of complaints against Mr Wares, enabling him to leave for South Africa in 1979, where he taught until his retirement in 2006.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in Scotland previously said he faces 74 charges.

Prosecutors first requested his extradition in 2018, leading to his arrest in May 2019 on seven charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour.

There is also a local trial under way in Cape Town against Mr Wares, following allegations by a former student in South Africa.

Mr Wares was granted bail and a hearing is due to start on 20 November.

'Finally someone is listening'

Neil Douglas hopes his former teacher is extradited back to Scotland as soon as possible

Former Edinburgh Academy pupil Neil Douglas, who has accused Mr Wares of abusing him when he was aged 10, told BBC News that he cried when he and other accusers were told the former teacher had been arrested.

He said: "We would love that on the 20th of November he is found liable for extradition, that the justice minister has no reason to delay signing the extradition order and that he is sent on a plane back to Scotland to face justice as soon as possible.

"Many of us made complaints about Iain Wares 20, 30, 40, some 50 years ago, and we were ignored and we weren't listened to.

"If he comes back to Scotland and faces justice, then, as a friend of mine said, it's like the grown-ups are listening. Finally someone is listening, finally someone is doing something about it. It will mean so much."

Broadcaster Nicky Campbell has welcomed the "realistic prospect" of Mr Wares standing trial in Scotland

BBC Presenter Nicky Campbell said the news was bittersweet but provided Mr Wares' accusers with a "glimmer of hope".

He said: "It seems like we've gotten somewhere at last and there is a realistic prospect of Mr Wares facing a fair trial in Scotland, in Edinburgh where he worked for so long.

"Our dream, after everything that has happened in so many lives, is to stand on the steps of the court in Edinburgh one Friday afternoon and say thank you."

'Culture of denial and coverup'

The legal firm which represents many of Wares' former pupils said the new charges were "a striking development in the case of Ian Wares, one of the worst paedophiles Scotland has ever seen".

Laura Connor, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: "It yet again highlights the depth of depravity that existed in both Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy.

"It also shows the culture of denial and coverup on behalf of both schools towards the innocent children being abused under their care."

The current rector of Edinburgh Academy, Barry Welsh, said: "The arrest of Iain Wares is a matter for the legal authorities in South Africa and Scotland.

"Our commitment to facing up to the wrongs of the past is unwavering, and will remain so irrespective of this legal process. Our door is always open to any of our former pupils who wish to discuss their experiences."