Borders Council accused of teacher abuse report cover-up

Linda McCall was convicted of attacks on five vulnerable children

Parents of vulnerable pupils attacked by a teacher allege a council is refusing to immediately publish an independent report on cover-up claims.

Scottish Borders councillors met on Thursday after Andrew Webster QC delivered his report to the authority's chief executive Netta Meadows.

The senior lawyer was investigating why the authority initially cleared Linda McCall of any wrongdoing.

Scottish Borders Council said it would publish the findings "in due course".

McCall was found guilty of attacking five children, who are severely autistic and non-verbal, between 2016 and 2017.

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The families told BBC Scotland of the "life-changing trauma" inflicted on their families.

One mother said her son had tried to harm himself while a father said he lived with guilt which had driven him to the point of depression.

The authority's internal probe initially told the parents their children had not been harmed, despite McCall later being convicted in a criminal court.

The BBC understands McCall's husband Kevin McCall was a senior member of the council's education department. Officials say he had no involvement investigating his wife and is no longer employed by the authority.

'A cover-up of the cover-up'

Ms Meadows said that following Thursday's meeting, councillors now wished to discuss the report's findings "in public, at the earliest opportunity".

She said: "At a meeting of full council today, Andrew Webster QC shared the findings of his independent inquiry into the council's handing of school assault allegations, on which he has worked for a number of months.

"Members agreed to the publication of Mr Webster's report, and that a further full council meeting is held, in public, at the earliest opportunity. This is to allow further detailed consideration and discussion on the content of Mr Webster's report and his recommendations, and of the next steps required by the council.

"The report will be published as part of the papers for that council meeting in due course."

A council spokesman added: "The council is in the process of finalising letters to the parents following the council meeting today to set out next steps, including confirmation of the meeting date and the associated publication of the report."

Some of the parents of those involved in the case reacted angrily.

One told BBC Scotland: "Wow. It is a cover-up of the cover-up. I am so annoyed. It is like our kids are not worth the findings".

Another said: "It stinks of them wanting more time to make it all seem not so bad. It makes me feel like we don't matter."

Admitted liability

Scottish Borders Council previously admitted liability for the actions of McCall in a civil case launched by the parents of the children involved.

The legal case was raised against the authority, as the employer of the teacher.

It could lead to significant sums of public money being issued to parents as part of the settlement.

Marina Urie, a lawyer with Thompsons Solicitors who are representing the families, said: "The parents whose children were assaulted and traumatised by Linda McCall feel betrayed yet again.

"They were led to believe by the council they would see the Webster report into their children's abuse when the council debated the matter. They had felt assured of that by communication with Scottish Borders Council.

"To now find out this report will be kept from them even longer without explanation is a hammer blow. If ever there was a time for openness and transparency this is it.

"What on earth is Borders Council doing? This unexplained delay is not only cruel, it smacks of cover-up and flies in the face of all the basic decency that anyone would expect from a Scottish local authority."