Following claims of rape, bullying, and sexual abuse, two former students of a prep school associated with prestigious boarding school Gordonstoun have been awarded £500,000.
John Findlay and another student, who has not been identified, said they and others had experienced abuse at Aberlour House, a neighbouring institution that serves as King Charles III’s junior school at Gordonstoun in Moray.
After seeking assistance for an injury in the 1990s, Mr. Findlay, who gave up his right to remain anonymous, said that a teacher entered his room, sedated him, and then sexually assaulted him.
He said that during the assault, which the instructor documented, he was completely cognizant but unable to move or talk.
The second student, a scholarship recipient, claimed that a different instructor had sexually assaulted her when she was 13 years old when they were camping.
Mr. Findlay has always argued that Gordonstoun ought to create a trust to assist people who experienced abuse and urged it to accept responsibility.
The two former students have already obtained out-of-court settlements from its insurers totaling more than £500,000.
According to The Guardian, the school’s insurance reached a settlement without admitting responsibility for the nameless student but did so in Mr. Findlay’s instance.
Despite the fact that both children entered the senior school after the attacks, Gordonstoun maintains that since Aberlour House, the junior school, was a distinct organization until 1999, it cannot be held accountable for the claimed crimes.
The institution also claims that it is unaware of the instances.
A teacher was scheduled to stand trial in Scotland for the 2014 rape of a 13-year-old pupil at the school.
He maintained his innocence, but the trial was overturned after a witness opted against testifying because of mental health problems.
Slater and Gordon decided to sue the school for damages when the case fell apart.
In October of last year, Mr. Findlay testified in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Several former students testified before the committee about rape and sexual abuse incidents that occurred in the 1980s and prior decades.
He was in his dormitory bed in the fall of 1990 when a teacher broke in and assaulted him sexually after he had begged for assistance with an injury.
Before assaulting him, the instructor gave him medication, according to Mr. Findlay, who also said that the teacher was “horrendously cognizant” but unable to stop it.
He subsequently notified his parents about the event, and they got in touch with the headmaster of Aberlour.
He said that his parents opted against filing a complaint after learning that the instructor would never again work at a school.
Derek Jones, the instructor accused of abusing his students, has already passed away.
Mr. Findlay pursued his lawsuit against the school for years while suffering from clinically severe post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety ever since the incident.
The second student, on the other hand, has had ongoing mental health problems ever since the occurrence.
When her daughter turned 12 in 2012—the same age at which she had been abused—she filed her first formal complaint.
£350,000 was given to the student, of which £70,000 would be used for expenses.
Psychiatric experts disagreed on whether her PTSD was brought on by the sexual assault or her father’s passing three years later.
She said to the Guardian: “What’s unjust is that, despite my difficulties, I have been able to find employment throughout the years.
But it only means I’m worth less in terms of lost wages. Ironically, Gordonstoun aims to build your resilience, yet I am being penalized for it.
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh both attended Gordonstoun, making it famed for its connections to the royal family.
A school representative expressed their regret that any former student may have experienced abuse while enrolled there and expressed admiration for the bravery of individuals who have come forward.
Although Gordonstoun cannot officially respond for Aberlour House before to 1999, we are giving the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry as much information as we can and have previously used the occasion to apologize to anybody who experienced abuse there.