School abuse victim wins six figure payout in a legal first for Scotland

Scottish Sun

06-05-2025

He branded his time at Loretto School as 'eight years in hell'
'MONUMENTAL VICTORY' School abuse victim wins six figure payout in a legal first for Scotland
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THE first victim to sue a top boarding school over his abuse hell has secured a six-figure payout.
Angus Bell, 44, today called the out-of-court deal a 'monumental victory'.
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Private Loretto School in Musselburgh, East Lothian
Credit: Andrew Barr - The Sun Glasgow
He'd claimed teachers turned a blind eye as kids were battered and sexually assaulted by other children at private Loretto School in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
A civil trial, believed to be the first in Scotland involving pupil-on-pupil abuse, was set for next month with 12 former Loretto schoolkids and four ex-teachers lined up to provide testimonies.
But last week, Mr Bell agreed to the six-figure out-of-court settlement with chiefs from the prestigious private school.
He hailed the outcome as a 'monumental victory for children's welfare' after a 34-year fight for justice.
Mr Bell said: 'What happened at Loretto was a disgrace. It was a madhouse of violence and psychological abuse, rampant with sexualised acts of depravity.
'Children were locked in trunks and launched down stairs, set on fire, beaten with cricket bats and hockey sticks, dragged from their beds at night and thrown into cold baths on their birthdays, stripped naked and strapped to trees, strangled, crushed under furniture, and subjected to hourly emotional abuse.
'The school knew abuse was happening and all too often chose to look the other way. And at no point has Loretto contacted me to apologise - not even after I gave evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
'But finally, outsiders know what happened within those walls. Finally, the school has been held to account.
'The daily abuse I suffered at Loretto, from eight years of unchecked, harrowing peer-on-peer assaults, has been life-changing.'
The landmark legal action against Loretto first emerged in November 2023.
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Mr Bell, who now lives in Canada, claimed that he was abused by older pupils while attending the independent school in the 1990s.
He compared every day he was at Loretto to being 'a cross between The Purge and The Running Man – it was eight years in hell.'
Mr Bell added: 'I want to give special thanks to those who had the courage to support me. Particular praise must go to English teacher David Stock, whose career was terminated for confronting the Loretto authorities about the widespread culture of physical, sexual and psychological abuse in 1991.
'There is still much work to be done and I will continue to support fellow survivors as it is vital the truth continues to be heard so current and future generations of children are protected.'
Partner at law firm Digby Brown, Richard Pitts, who led the legal action against Loretto School, said: 'The treatment depicted at Loretto was horrific – in my years as an abuse solicitor it's among some of the worst accounts of violence and depravity I've ever heard of.
'Angus has been strong, calm and resilient throughout his entire journey and I commend him for what he has been able to do because he has not just secured justice for himself - in all likelihood he has opened the doors to help others get the outcome they deserve too.'
Loretto, established in 1827, offers boarding and day schooling for boys and girls aged three to 18 years old, with annual fees costing up to nearly £50,000.
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry found ex-pupils experienced emotional, physical and sexual harm at the school.
Pete Richardson, head of Loretto School, said: 'We can confirm that the matter has been resolved in terms agreed with Mr Bell. Whilst we do not intend to comment on the detail of matters raised by Mr Bell, what has been averred in the Court action is not congruent with our understanding of the experience of others at Loretto at that time.
'The whole question of behaviours in Loretto over the years has been considered in detail by SCAI. We continue to support the work of SCAI and, where wrongdoing has been recognised in the past, we have made an unreserved apology – we would encourage anyone with an interest in this matter to look at the excellent work done by SCAI.
'In the Loretto of today, child protection, wellbeing and the happiness of all pupils is our top priority.'