Scripture Union Scotland (SUS) has said it will offer ‘full assistance’ to Police Scotland after BBC presenter Nicky Campbell said he was assaulted by an SUS member.
The 61-year-old broadcaster claimed: ‘I was badly beaten up at the Edinburgh Academy by a teacher who was a leading light in the Scripture Union.’
He added: ‘My mother took it as far as she could and got a grovelling apology from [the man involved], but was essentially stonewalled and it was hushed up by the school. Those were different times and that has stayed with me all my life.’
Separately, Campbell also described ‘witnessing more serious sexual abuse, allegedly enacted on his schoolmates at the hands of another man at the institution,’ according to the Guardian.
Contacted by en, Robin MacLellan, Scripture Union Scotland’s Chief Executive said: ‘We were saddened to learn of the abuse that Nicky Campbell experienced and witnessed during his time as a pupil at Edinburgh Academy in the 1970s.
‘We offer our deepest sympathies to Nicky and the other victims in this case, and commend Nicky for having the courage to share his experience publicly.
‘Scripture Union Scotland has the safety and wellbeing of young people at the heart of its activities and we have robust safeguarding measures in place to ensure that every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of children attending our events.
‘We will offer our full assistance to Police Scotland with any questions they may have.’
Campbell made his allegations during the podcast Different. He talked about his experiences with journalist Alex Renton, whose radio programme In Dark Corners explores abuse at private schools. He also spoke about it on Radio 5 Live.
In a statement to the BBC, the Edinburgh Academy said it deeply regretted the alleged incidents and ‘wholeheartedly’ apologised to all those affected. ‘We have worked closely with the relevant authorities including Police Scotland with their inquiries and would like to provide reassurance that things have dramatically changed since the 1970s.’
