Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
New investigation into school ‘abuse’
PROSECUTORS have launched a fresh investigation into multiple claims of abuse against children at a Dundee school.
A number of complaints have been made to police in recent years about alleged attacks on children — many of whom cannot communicate verbally — at Kingspark School.
In 2014, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) upheld a complaint that police had failed to properly investigate allegations of an assault on a child by staff.
Following that, a national probe was launched into the allegations, involving officers based in Dundee.
When that investigation was concluded this year, a report was submitted to the procurator fiscal.
However, after criticism that the report lacked detail and balance, area procurator fiscal Catriona Dalrymple became involved and demanded that further evidence — including statements from parents — be taken into consideration.
The evidence will now be l ooked at and decisions made about whether any criminal action should be taken against individuals.
A spokesman for the Crown Office said: “We are looking into the circumstances of these allegations and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Beth Morrison, of Monifieth, is one of those campaigning for a series of alleged assaults against children at Kingspark to be probed further.
She told the Tele that parents had faced a long wait for answers about the allegations and felt let down by the way the investigation had been handled.
Beth — who set up a charity aimed at improving communication between carers, teachers and young people with learning disabilities after the Kingspark allegations emerged — said: “This has been going on since 2014 and the families have been left hanging all this time.
“These families have been waiting for answers for a long time.
“There is medical evidence and photographic evidence about what happened.
“Parents have been told in the past that injuries were caused as a result of children attacking other children — but that’s not the case.”
Kingspark caters for about 175 pupils aged between five and 18 who have additional support needs or disabilities.