Scottish Catholic Observer

BISHOP Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen has said it is ‘bitter, shaming and distressing’ that young boys were abused by monks at the Fort Augustus Abbey school in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bishop Gilbert travelled to St Peter’s and St Benedict’s parish in Fort Augustus last Sunday to celebrate Mass and express his profound sorrow after hearing news of the historic abuse cases.

A Church safeguarding advisor told the SCO this week that the Church now has the ‘robust, rigorous systems’ in place to help ensure such events are not repeated and it was vital that everyone used ‘common sense’ and embraced child protection policy.

The Scottish Church has continued to face the spectre of abuse this week following last week’s BBC Scotland investigation that uncovered a number of cases of child abuse at the Fort Augustus Abbey school, which lies within Aberdeen Diocese, and Carlekemp, its feeder school, in East Lothian. More alleged victims have since come forward.

Both schools, now closed, were run by the English Benedictine order, whose head Abbot Richard Yeo has given a full apology to the abuse victims and taken responsibility.

In his homily at Fort Augustus last Sunday, Bishop Gilbert said: “It is a most bitter, shaming and distressing thing that in this former Abbey School a small number of Baptised, consecrated and ordained Christian men physically or sexually abused those in their care.”

‘I know that Abbot Richard Yeo has offered an apology to those who have suffered such abuse and I join him in that,” he added. “We are anxious that there be a thorough police investigation into all this. And, that all that can be done should be done for the victims.  All of us must surely pray for those who have suffered.”

A Church spokesman told the SCO that Bishop Gilbert, former abbot of Pluscarden Abbey, heard about what had happened at Fort Augustus Abbey on his way back from World Youth Day in Rio and, as Fort Augustus is within his diocese, immediately wanted to go there to offer pastoral care and support as a ‘shepherd’ of the Church.

Bishop Gilbert also said the Church would increase its already vigilant efforts to prevent anything remotely similar happening again.

The Church confirmed this week that it will publish full reports, compiled by its National Office of Child Safety, of any allegations made against priests, staff or volunteers and how these were resolved.

The Church is also preparing a more detailed report for publication next year that will give complete account of historical cases across Scotland.

Tina Campbell, the safeguarding adviser for Motherwell Diocese, said these reports would show the ‘very robust’ structures the Church had in place to prevent young people and vulnerable adults being put at risk.

“We have a national safeguarding office that co-ordinates advisers and specialist teams in each diocese that deal very efficiently with any allegations,” she said. “Any illegal activity is immediately reported to the police as well as the bishop.”

Ms Campbell said the policies were in place to prevent abuse and that people need to take them seriously.

—This story ran in full in the August 9 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes

—[email protected]

—PIC: PAUL McSHERRY