Abuse victim at East Lothian school receives pay-out but no apology

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 18:57 · Archive

A former pupil at Loretto School in Musselburgh has received a six-figure settlement over claims of repeated assault by fellow pupils in the 1990s but says the school has not apologised.

Angus Bell, 46, who now lives in Montreal, received a six-figure settlement from Loretto School in Musselburgh after the school settled a civil case out of court. The case, thought to be the first to involve pupil-to-pupil abuse, was due to go to trial at the Court of Session in Edinburgh but did not proceed.

Bell waived his anonymity in 2023 to launch legal action over claims he was repeatedly assaulted by fellow pupils during the 1990s when he was aged 10. He alleges a catalogue of abuse including being whipped with belt buckles, thrown down flights of stairs, locked in trunks and waterboarded in a dirty toilet. He described the school as having a 'brutal system of punishment and hierarchy' with only two types of pupils: 'the attackers and the attacked'.

Despite the settlement, Bell says he remains deeply dissatisfied. 'The school have never contacted me directly to apologise,' he said. 'At no point in this process has anyone from that school spoken to me directly.' He does not hold the individual pupils responsible and instead blames the school's culture for allowing the behaviour to continue. Bell, an author and carpenter, has highlighted that other former pupils remain in need of mental health support.

How it is being reported

• Man given six-figure pay out for claims of abuse at East Lothian private boarding school says he hasn't had apologyAngus claims he was assaulted thousands of times during this time at the schoolEdinburgh Evening News · 29 Oct, 16:43
• Man tortured at East Lothian school by fellow pupils demands apology after pay-outHe bravely waived his anonymity in 2023Edinburgh Live · 29 Oct, 12:25

In this story: Angus Bell · Loretto School · Musselburgh · East Lothian · Edinburgh

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