Inquiry finds Edinburgh Academy pupils suffered decades of dreadful abuse as school ignored complaints

Findings span four decades

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry heard claims of historical abuse involving 20 teaching staff at the private school. Most of the evidence related to the period from 1954 to 1995.

In publishing her findings, former judge Lady Smith said the school had not assessed itself realistically or critically for decades. She said it failed to accept that abuse had occurred, respond to it or recognise the risk of further harm.

School criticised over response

The report said the school had concentrated on protecting its reputation while complaints went unaddressed. Lady Smith described complacency as a defining feature of its response. Edinburgh Academy apologised in 2023 for historical abuse it described as “brutal and unrestrained.” The inquiry’s findings add detail about the allegations and the school’s handling of them.

Two staff members named

The report identifies Hamish Dawson, a housemaster and senior school teacher, and John Brownlee, a housemaster and deputy head of the junior school, as perpetrators of abuse. It says one of them began abusing children at Edinburgh Academy before moving to other schools.

Evidence from a former pupil, identified by the pseudonym Henry, described abuse as part of everyday life during his nine years at the school. Henry said physical violence against young pupils was treated as normal, and that racism, sexism and homophobia were ignored.

Inquiry’s wider remit

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was established in October 2015. Its remit was to examine the abuse of children in care in Scotland. The Edinburgh Academy findings describe historical abuse at a private school and failures to address complaints. They also record Henry’s account that safeguarding was absent.