Two former pupils of a prep school linked to elite boarding school Gordonstoun have received a £500,000 following allegations of rape, bullying and sexual abuse.
John Findlay and a second pupil, who has not been named, alleged they and others had suffered abuse Aberlour House, a nearby school which acts as the junior school of Gordonstoun in Moray – attended by King Charles III.
According to Mr. Findlay who expressed his willingness to remain anonymous, a teacher entered his room and drugged him. He also sexually assaulted him. This happened after he asked for treatment for an injury he sustained in the 1990s.
According to him, he was still conscious and alert during the attack (which was captured by the teacher), but could not move or speak.
Second pupil was a scholarship student who claimed she was raped at 13 years old by a different teacher on a camping trip.
Gordonstoun must establish a trust for victims of abuse. Mr Findlay insists on this belief and urges it to accept responsibility.
The two former pupils have now received out of court settlements reaching more than £500,000 from its insurers.
The school’s insurer settled without admission of liability of the unnamed pupil, but admitted liability in the case of Mr Findlay, The Guardian reports.
John Findlay was accused of sexual abuse while he was still a pupil and has been offered a settlement by the school
Gordonstoun has a long history of links to the royals, including attendance by the Prince of Wales (and the Duke) of Edinburgh.
Aberlour House in Moray was where two of their former students said they had been sexually molested.
Gordonstoun claims that, even though both of the students attended the senior school after the attacks, Aberlour House, the junior school, was an independent entity up until 1999. Therefore, the school cannot be held responsible.
Also, the school claims that it has no knowledge of these cases.
Scotland: A teacher is due to be tried in connection with the 2014 rape conviction of a girl aged 13 at her school.
However, he denied any wrongdoing. The trial ended when one witness decided not to testify because of mental health problems.
The case was eventually settled by Slater and Gordon who decided to sue Slater and Gordon for damages.
In October 2013, Mr. Findlay testified at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Many former students have provided details of sexual abuse and rape cases that occurred in the 1980s.
He was sleeping in a dormitory in autumn 1990 when a teacher entered his room and sexually assaulted him.
He was given medicine by his teacher before being abused.
He told his parents later about the incident and they reached out to Aberlour.
After the allegations, Mr. Findlay was called to testify at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
The teacher told his parents that he wouldn’t work in a school again. His parents did not press charges.
Derek Jones, the teacher accused of the alleged abuse is dead.
After suffering severe clinical post-traumatic stress disorder and depression since abuse, Mr. Findlay spent several years trying to prove his case against the school.
Since the incident, however, the second student has been suffering from long-term mental health problems.
When her 12-year-old daughter was 12, she filed her first complaint. This is the age when she suffered from abuse.
The pupil received £350,000, of which £70,000 will go towards costs.
Three years later, experts questioned whether the PTSD she suffered was due to her father’s sexual abuse or his death.
She told the Guardian: ‘What’s unfair is that, though I have struggled, I have managed to get work over the years.
‘But that means I’m worth less in compensation for loss of earnings. Gordonstoun is trying to teach you resilience, and that’s what I get.
Gordonstoun has a long history of links with the royals, including attendance by the Prince and Duke of Edinburgh.
According to a spokesperson from the school, “We regret that any student was subjected to abuse while attending the school. However, we are proud of the bravery shown by those who come forward.”
Gordonstoun is unable to answer formal questions about Aberlour House since 1999. However, we will provide all information we can for the benefit of the [Scottish Child Abuse]Inquiry. We have offered an apology at the Inquiry for anyone who was subject to abuse.