Former Fettes pupil given £450,000 in damages over abuse

A man who said he was abused by a former teacher at one of Scotland's top private schools has secured £450,000 in damages.

The man, who is in his fifties, said the abuse took place at Fettes College in Edinburgh in the 1970s.

The retired teacher is currently appealing against an extradition order from South Africa where he lives.

The 83-year-old faces allegations of sexually and physically assaulting boys at two Edinburgh schools.

Thompsons Solicitors said it had agreed a £450,000 payout with Fettes College, which is thought to be the largest award made to a victim of historic abuse at the school.

'Profoundly moving'

The former pupil, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I have waited a long time for Fettes to recognise the abuse that I suffered at the hands of one of their teachers.

"Not just in terms of their public apology but also in the payment of damages. I pursued my case against the school to ensure they fully appreciated the gravity of the harm that we suffered as children there."

A spokesperson for Fettes College said: "The head of Fettes, Helen Harrison, and representatives of the board of governors attended the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry every day to listen to all the evidence.

"It was a profoundly moving experience and we applaud the bravery of everyone who shared their stories.

• Fettes College teacher's extradition case postponed

• Nicky Campbell: Abuse would have crushed my parents

• Victim 'filled with fury' over Fettes School abuse investigation

"These accounts to the inquiry, describing the abuse suffered in the 1970s, are now part of the school's history and we must take this as an opportunity to listen, reflect and learn and we offer a full and unreserved apology to anyone who suffered abuse while at Fettes College."

The spokesperson added: "Fettes is not reflecting alone as this is an opportunity for the education sector as a whole to strive to ensure the voice of the child is central to everything we do.

"For the Fettes of today, our sector-leading pastoral care ensures that all Fettes College students and staff live together in a safe and secure environment. Safeguarding is central to all that we do and is integral to the ethos of the school.

"It is the duty of all members of staff, throughout the Fettes community, to play an active role in promoting the wellbeing of all our students."

This is an enormous pay-out.

It underlines the enormous damage which can be done to a child by abuse at school.

The pay-out by the school is a tacit admission that its system failed to protect its pupil.

It sets the scene for other enormous pay-outs to similar claimants at Fettes and other schools from the time.

We can expect an eventual bill of millions of pounds in compensation for what happened.

It is a huge warning to all schools about tolerating any sort of abusive behaviour towards pupils.

Could it create a precedent and spark similar claims across Scottish schools from people who were abused or ill-treated at school?

The retired teacher facing extradition from South Africa taught at Fettes College in the 1970s and also worked at Edinburgh Academy.

South Africa approved the UK's extradition request in 2020 but there have been a series of delays to an appeal of this decision by the 83-year-old.

Broadcaster Nicky Campbell, who attended Edinburgh Academy, is one of a number of former pupils at that school who have made allegations about the pensioner.

Laura Connor, who leads Thompsons' historic abuse unit, said: "We welcome the fact that Fettes have finally acknowledged the gravity of the abuse and the ongoing impact it has had on our client.

"It is disappointing that they took so long to do so but we are pleased to have achieved the right outcome for our client in the end.

"We call this historic abuse but the truth is that survivors live with what happened to them every day of their lives."