An investigation found that abuses at Gordonstoun had flourished unchecked for decades

An inquest has heard that Gordonstoun School, where the future King Charles was educated, allowed child abuse to continue unlawfully for decades.

Lady Smith, chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has published her findings on residential care for children at Moray School and its associated Aberlour Primary School.

She found that children attending both facilities were at risk of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and for many of them this risk became a reality.

Lady Smith said: “I have no difficulty in saying that children were abused in Gordonstoun and Aberlour in many ways over a long period of time.”

The school apologized to anyone who experienced violence while in its care.

Lady Smith said that the abuse was caused by, among other things, lack of prioritization of child protection and insufficient supervision of students and teachers.

Gordonstoun was founded in 1934 by German Jewish educator Kurt Hahn after escaping from the Nazis. His goal was to create well-rounded citizens who focused on life skills and service as much as academic achievement.

“It was assumed that the declaration of good intentions by founder Kurt Hahn would be sufficient to ensure that the school could provide appropriate care in a residential setting,” said Lady Smith.

“At Gordonstoun the assumption proved unfounded, largely because of poor leadership.”

She continued: “It was only after 1990 and the appointment of a director who understood the importance of pastoral care that attention finally began to be drawn to the abuse and a degree of trust was restored.

“A terrible and, in some homes, extremely brutal culture has been allowed to take root.

“Abuses were also committed by staff. Evidence of abuse was clear from the accounts of many claimants.”

Lady Smith stated that from the 1960s to the 1990s there was a similar culture of “assumption and naivety” in Aberlour.

She added that this situation was made worse by the school’s long and unchallenged leadership.

“By the 1990s there had been significant management failures due to a lack of attention to child protection and pastoral care,” she added.

“Never Be Satisfied”

Gordonstoun said it offered its “sincere and sincere apologies to all those harmed at the school”.

The open letter said: “Today’s report is disturbing and it is shocking to read about the abuse that children have experienced in the past and the lasting impact that abuse has on their lives 30, 40 and even 50 years later.

“We respect and thank those who spoke about their experiences and those who gave evidence to the inquiry.

“Since we received reports of past abuse in 2013, we have taken a proactive approach, dealing openly with cases and offering all the support we can.

“Lady Smith recognizes that Gordonstoun has recognized the need to avoid burying its head in the sand, acknowledge the reality of past violence and respond.”

The school added: “We can never be satisfied; instead, we always strive to learn and improve. This is no more than the children in our care deserve, and it is the least we can do to honor those survivors whose testimony led to today’s important report.”

One former student, John Findlay, has previously appealed to Gordonstoun to set up a foundation to help those who have suffered abuse access mental health treatment.

Findlay, who waived his right to anonymity, said the boarding school should take responsibility for the abuse he and others suffered at Aberlour House.

Findlay told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry that in 1990, at the age of 12, he experienced sexual abuse by a teacher.

At the time it was considered a preparatory school for Gordonstoun. Later the schools merged.

“Embrace challenges”

Earlier this year, King Charles became patron of Gordonstoun Society, a role previously held by his father, Prince Philip, who also attended the school.

It marked the King’s first official connection with the institution he attended from 1962 to 1967.

In letters from his school days he wrote that he disliked his time at Gordonstoun and had difficulty coping in the difficult environment. However, he has often downplayed this since then.

In a speech in the House of Lords in 1975 he said: “It was difficult only in the sense that it demanded more of you as an individual than most other schools – mentally and physically.

“I’m lucky because I think it taught me a lot about myself, my abilities and my disabilities. It taught me to accept challenges and take initiative.”