Five men charged over abuse at Edinburgh Academy
- Published
Five men, aged between 69 and 90, have been arrested and charged in connection with historical abuse at Edinburgh Academy.
The men are alleged to have abused young people at the school over a 24-year period between 1968 and 1992.
A sixth man, aged 74, has also been reported to the procurator fiscal.
Nearly 50 witnesses gave evidence about abuse at the school to the Scottish Child Abuse inquiry, including television presenter Nicky Campbell.
As many as 20 staff were accused of abusing pupils at the fee-paying school.
Police Scotland subsequently opened a probe into the allegations.
Nicky Campbell gave evidence to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry
An investigation by the BBC's Panorama programme later found alleged records of abuse in the 1970s were not retained.
A spokesperson for the school said it was "appalled" by historical incidents of abuse.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment on any individual cases while there are active legal proceedings," said the spokesperson.
"However, we can say that we deeply regret what happened at the Academy in the past.
"This was examined in detail at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which we have fully supported, and we applaud the bravery of those who came forward to tell their stories.
"We will continue to respect the ongoing legal process and would encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to contact Police Scotland."
'Complex and challenging'
Det Insp Colin Moffat thanked everyone who had come forward to help the police inquiries.
"While the investigation of child abuse, particularly non-recent offences, can be complex and challenging, anyone who reports this type of crime can be assured that we will listen and we will investigate all reports," he said.
Nicky Campbell alleged he witnessed abuse at the academy by a maths teacher, Iain Wares, who also taught at Fettes College.
The 84-year-old now lives in South Africa, but has appealed against his extradition to the UK, where he faces more than 80 abuse charges.
He is due to stand trial for indecent assault in Cape Town in February 2024.