The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was established in October 2015 to inquire into cases of abuse of children in care in Scotland. It was to report and make recommendations within four years by 2019. However, this deadline was later changed to "as soon as reasonably practicable". Concerns have been raised about mounting costs and delays in the inquiry. Six years after the start of the on-going inquiry and long after the original deadline, Anne Smith released a report which was critical of the previous Scottish government for the 'woeful and avoidable' delay in setting up the inquiry.
As of September 2023, after nearly 8 years of the inquiry running, Smith has published zero recommendations to improve the lives of children in care. Victims have called for new laws of mandatory reporting to be implemented in Scotland. This is a legal requirement for those who work with children or in law enforcement to report child sexual abuse which is law in most other countries in the world. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has given no indication if they will support this law reform.
Many criticisms have been made against the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. One of the more concerning criticisms is documented in a book by John Halley, former counsel to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Halley's book A Judicial Monstering: Child Sex Abuse Cover Up And Corruption In Scotland documents his experience of the removal of the first panel by seconded civil servants working for the inquiry and the Scottish government. This panel consisted of Susan O'Brien KC, Professor Michael Lamb and Glenn Houston with John Halley as counsel. Halley outlines how he was hounded to resign by the new chair Lady Smith even when being diagnosed and treated for cancer. Halley brought a disability discrimination claim against Lady Smith and various legal claims which have been marred with conflict of interest and corruption allegations against the Scottish legal world. Halley if he had remained in his position would have continued to push for the investigation of child abuse allegations against senior legal establishment including Lord Hardie. To this date the new chair has refused to investigate the allegations despite it being within the terms of reference.
Inquiry Team
Retired judge Anne Smith was appointed as chairwoman of the inquiry in July 2016. She is supported by a secretariat team, a legal team and legal council.
Prior to the appointment of Smith, the inquiry had a chair, Susan O'Brien, and two panel members, Michael Lamb and Glen Houston. Lamb resigned because of the Scottish government continued interference.
The media contact for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is being managed by the PR firm 3x1 Public Relations.
Phases of Inquiry
By 2022 the inquiry was on its seventh phase. These phases were: (1) Opening statements and timetable (2) Residential child care establishments run by Catholic Orders (3) Residential child care establishments run by non-religious and voluntary organisations (4) Residential child care establishments run by male religious orders within the Roman Catholic Church (5) Child migrants – Abuse of children whose departure from Scotland to countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand was part of the child migration programmes (6) boarding schools and (7) foster care case study.
The inquiry investigated over 100 locations of over 50 residential care establishments for children where there were child abuse claims. Between 2018 and 2021 the inquiry issued several reports including four case reports on care homes in Scotland.
In 2021 the inquiry investigated several boarding schools for child abuse including some of Scotland's most famous private schools - Fettes College, Gordonstoun, Loretto, Merchiston Castle, Morrison's Academy (when it was a boarding school), Keil School and Queen Victoria School.
Redress for survivors of child abuse The Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act was passed in 2021 following the Scottish Child abuse enquiry. Survivors of abuse within Scotland's care system were entitled to more than £150 million in compensation through the Redress Scotland scheme. The initiative provided financial redress to individuals who experienced abuse in residential care settings before 2004.
Residential care establishments for children run by Catholic Orders
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul orphanages, Smyllum Park and Bellevue
In October 2018 the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry issued a report that dealt mainly with children in the care of Smyllum Park orphanage, Lanark (1864–1981) and Bellevue Children's Home, Rutherglen (1912–1961) run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Children were abused sexually and beaten with leather straps, hairbrushes and crucifixes. The children experienced "no love, no compassion, no dignity and no comfort". The inquiry report states that, for example:Children were sexually abused in Smyllum. Children were sexually abused by priests, a trainee priest, sisters, members of staff and a volunteer. There was also problematic sexual behaviour by other children. Children were physically abused. They were hit with and without implements, either in an excess of punishment or for reasons which the child could not fathom. The implements used included leather straps, the "Lochgelly Tawse," hairbrushes, sticks, footwear, rosary beads, wooden crucifixes and a dog's lead. For some children, being hit was a normal aspect of daily life. The physical punishments meted out to children went beyond what was acceptable at the time whether as punishment in schools or in the home. Children who were bed-wetters were abused physically and emotionally. They were beaten, put in cold baths and humiliated in ways that included "wearing" their wet sheets and being subjected to hurtful name-calling by Sisters and by other children. Many children were force-fed. The Daughters of Charity responded that the events and practices described were not in accordance with their values, and that they would give the report "our utmost attention". They apologised to anyone who suffered abuse while in their care. In 2025 they agreed to pay up to £10 million to those who had been abused as children at the orphanages.
In August 2018 police arrested and charged nuns and other former staff of Smyllum Park, eleven women and a man (later increased to 17), regarding alleged child physical and sexual abuse. About 11,600 children passed through Smyllum and a single mass grave near the home contained the bodies of up to 400 children.
Fort Augustus Abbey School, Inverness and Carlekemp Priory School, North Berwick Fort Augustus Abbey School and Carlekemp Priory were run by Benedictine monks.
Smith concluded: "Children were sexually abused at both schools. A number of monks were serial sexual predators and, because of the movement of monks between Fort Augustus and Carlekemp, they were able to target victims at both schools. Children were cruelly beaten by sadistic monks at both schools, and some beatings had sexual overtones. Children were humiliated and punished inappropriately and excessively. Some children complained to monks in positions of responsibility about being abused. They received either non-existent or inadequate responses."
A representative of the Benedictine monks order gave an "unreserved apology" to everyone affected by the abuse.
In 2013 the BBC broadcast a documentary called "Sins of our Fathers" about the Fort Augustus Abbey School. They described it as uncovering "the shocking truth of physical and sexual abuse at one of Scotland's most prestigious Catholic boarding schools". Five former pupils at Carlekemp Priory School in North Berwick and Fort Augustus Abbey said in this documentary that they were raped by Father Aidan Duggan between 1953 and 1974 when they were young boys. Duggan died in Australia in 2004.
Denis Alexander, who had emigrated to Australia, in 2021 pleaded guilty to two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices against two boys at Fort Augustus between 1973 and 1976 and was jailed for four years and five months. Michael "Benedict" Seed, a former teacher at Fort Augustus, was found guilty of assaulting one child at the school during the 1970s. Five other charges against him were not proven. Robert MacKenzie, who had emigrated to Canada, was extradited from Canada to Scotland in 2020 at the age of 87 to face 14 charges of sexual and physical abuse of young boys at Fort Augustus and Carlekemp. These charges were later dropped.
Carlekemp was closed in 1977 and Fort Augustus in 1993.
Marist Brothers Schools St Joseph's College, Dumfries and St Columba's College, Largs Between 1951 and 1980 children in the care of St Joseph's College and St Columba's College suffered abuse that was "shocking and distressing" according to Smith. She said: "Both schools had flawed systems that allowed abusers driven by sexual motives to have easy access to children in their care" and "Marist Brothers in positions of trust at both boarding schools violated their monastic vows and breached the trust of children and their families." Lady Smith found staff at St. Columba's were serial sex offenders.
In 2019 a former teacher, Peter Toner, was jailed for sexually abusing five children at St. Columba's. Another teacher, Germanus Paul (David McKell) was also identified by Smith as an abuser of children. In 1998 former teacher Norman Bulloch was found not guilty of abusing a pupil at the St. Columba's College between 1971 and 1972. However, in 2001 Bulloch was found guilty of the sexual assault of two boys at St Joseph's College between 1972 and 1976 and was jailed for 8 years.
A spokesman for the Marist Brothers said "The Marist Brothers are deeply sorry for the pain and hurt caused to all those who were abused by Marist Brothers, and to others who were affected by the abuse. "We offer our unreserved apology. The Marist Brothers recognise the courage of those who came forward and hope that the inquiry's report brings recognition of their suffering and loss."
Dumfries council took over St. Joseph's college in 1981 and the Marist Brothers closed the St. Columba's College in 1982.
Sisters of Nazareth Houses in Aberdeen, Cardonald, Lasswade and Kilmarnock The inquiry found in their report that, between 1933 and 1984, children who had been in the care of Sisters of Nazareth orphanages had encountered sexual abuse "of the utmost depravity." Police had more than 300 complaints from former children who were victims at the houses.
The Sisters of Nazareth said “As we have said before, we apologise wholeheartedly and unreservedly to those who suffered any form of mistreatment." In 2025 they agreed to pay up to £5.75 Million to victims of abuse at their houses. In 2025 two former nurses (Carol Buirds and Eileen McElhinney) and a support worker (Dorothy Kane) were convicted of child abuse at the Nazareth homes in Lasswade and Kilmarnock.
St. Ninian's, Falkland Lady Smith's report concluded that St. Ninian's (a residential school run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, a Catholic organisation) was "a place of abuse and deprivation" particularly from 1969 until the school closed in 1983. The Christian Brothers were able to "pursue their abusive practices with impunity" and the evidence against them was "shocking and distressing". Children in care suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Michael Madigan, a representative for the Christian Brothers said the congregation acknowledged with "deepest regret" that children had been abused.