Edinburgh Academy Survivor Group make statement outside court

Edinburgh Evening News

Members of the Edinburgh Academy Survivor Group make a statement outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court after former teacher John Brownlee was found to have carried out a shocking series of attacks on pupils over a 20 year period.

Transcript

00:00 Certainly Graham Smith, Edinburgh Academy survivors. I read this statement on behalf of hundreds of

00:09 defenseless, trusting and innocent little boys aged 7 to 11 years old who were violently assaulted

00:18 and abused as pupils at the Edinburgh Academy Prep School in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

00:27 The sadistic, evil and violent monster John Brownlee took great pleasure in systematically

00:37 and regularly punching, choking, kicking, hair pulling, knocking unconscious, slapping,

00:46 strangling and savagely beating little boys with instruments of torture including golf clubs,

00:54 snooker cues, cricket bats, the wooden plaquen, his feet, knuckles and bare fists

01:04 as he attacked often for no reason at all innocent little children in his care over a 33-year period.

01:14 He even inserted a garden hose into a boy after he sawed himself. This took place in a primary

01:24 school where it was known he was extremely violent towards pupils and yet nothing was done

01:33 to protect them as he was the deputy headmaster and other teachers were scared of him and unable

01:40 to stop him. The harm Brownlee did to young boys has caused a lifetime of untold damage

01:48 for everyone concerned. Today's verdict after almost three weeks of evidence and a year

01:56 of police investigations sends out a strong signal that the law will one day catch up with anyone

02:05 who abuses children. Justice has been done today after a wait of over 50 years for some former

02:15 pupils. Finally we have been believed and the truth has been told. Thank you to everyone who's

02:25 helped us especially the police and Barry Welsh the current director of Edinburgh Academy. Thank you.

Category

Transcript

Recommended