A former pupil of an elite Ministry of Defence boarding school in Perthshire has told how he suffered years of sexual abuse and bullying.
As reported in The Sunday Post, Tom Davis claims he was beaten and sexually abused by an older student at the Queen Victoria School in Dunblane.
But when he complained to school authorities, he says teachers there made his life unbearable and he eventually left.
Mr Davis, originally from Kirkcaldy and now 47, who is a technical sales expert, said: “What happened at that awful place has haunted me all my life.
“The MoD failed to protect me then and they are continuing to fail me now because they have yet to acknowledge what went on there.
“The secrecy surrounding Queen Victoria School must end.”
Last week, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) announced that Queen Victoria would be among a series of leading Scottish private schools to be examined at this summer’s hearings, along with Prince Charles’ former school, Gordonstoun, Fettes College – where Tony Blair studied – and Morrison’s Academy in Crieff.
Inquiry chairman Judge Lady Smith released a YouTube video urging former pupils and staff who suffered or witnessed abuse at any of those schools to come forward.
Mr Davis has already written to the inquiry about his time at Queen Victoria school.
He was sent to the school after his father, a Scots Guard, was killed in Northern Ireland.
The youngster planned to follow his dad into the forces but, when he was 13, he claims a pupil who was four years older than him began sexually abusing him.
Mr Davis said: “I tried everything I could to keep as far away as possible from him, but that is almost impossible to do when you are at a boarding school.
“The abuse was horrific and I was terrified. My grades began to plummet and I was extremely stressed out and anxious. I eventually broke down and told my mum what was happening.”
The traumatised youngster was called in to the headmaster’s office and questioned but he claims there was no sympathy.
Mr Davis said: “The way I was spoken to and questioned made it clear that I wasn’t believed.
“My tormentor was questioned, but nothing happened to stop him or send him away. He then told everyone that I had gone to the headmaster.
“From then on I was subjected to a vicious bullying campaign as well as sexual abuse.”
Mr Davis said he wasn’t interviewed by the police about what had happened to him at the time.
He had to ditch his plans to follow in his dad’s footsteps by joining the military, and did not manage to acquire the exam grades he was expected to.
Two years ago, he contacted the police and was later awarded more than £16,000 by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority – the highest in that specific category.
Tom’s lawyer, Cameron Fyfe, is taking legal action against the MoD, and seeking a full investigation and apology.
The MOD said: “Queen Victoria School treats all allegations of any kind of abuse with the utmost seriousness.
“We are currently unable to comment on this or any other historic allegations as they are part of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, with which the School is co-operating fully.”
