Scottish Inquiry Finds Keil School Leadership Covered Up Systematic Abuse

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) has found that children at Keil School in Dumbarton were systematically abused by paedophiles amid a deliberate cover-up by senior leadership that prioritized protecting the school's reputation over child safety. The inquiry revealed that William Bain, a former physics teacher described as a sadist, sexually abused pupils aged 11 to 14 on hundreds of occasions and was jailed for nine years after admitting 11 charges. Another teacher, David Gutteridge, was convicted and sentenced for indecent assault, with prosecutions arising from evidence presented to the inquiry in 2021. Lady Smith, chair of the inquiry, condemned the leadership’s failure to investigate complaints and exposed a culture where abuse was normalized from the 1950s to the 1980s, allowing predators free rein until the school closed in 2000. The inquiry also warned that further prosecutions of abusers could follow based on ongoing investigations. These findings form part of a larger case study on abuse in Scottish boarding schools, including Loretto School, Gordonstoun, and Merchiston Castle School.