Teacher in Campbell abuse claim will face extradition
A RETIRED teacher accused of child abuse by broadcaster Nicky Campbell is facing extradition from South Africa to Britain.
Radio 5 host Campbell, 61, broke down in tears last week as he told of witnessing abuse by the unnamed teacher at public school in Scotland half a century ago.
Now Scottish authorities have applied to extradite the pensioner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to Britain to face charges – and South Africa’s minister of justice has agreed.
The 82-year-old – given the pseudonym ‘Edgar’ by his accusers – is appealing against the decision and the case is due to be heard in Cape Town on October 25.
In the meantime he is living in a luxury retirement village with his wife. Their gated community, set below Table Mountain National Park, has a heated pool, a pub and a restaurant.
Campbell claimed last week he had seen the teacher sexually abuse a classmate at Edinburgh Academy when both boys were 10.
Dozens of other alleged victims have come forward to claim they suffered similar abuse when he taught at elite Fettes College, which counts
‘Clearly fit enough to be questioned’
Tony Blair among its alumni. Informed of his former teacher’s life of luxury, Campbell told The Times: ‘He is clearly fit enough to be extradited and questioned. That now needs to happen.’
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has been told ‘Edgar’ was a serial paedophile, with the claim: ‘He abused in plain sight and in front of his class and, on some accounts, involving half of a class of 20. Evidence suggests that he took advantage and engineered abuse whenever and wherever the mood took him.’
The inquiry’s chairman, senior judge Lady Smith, has made an order preventing the naming of alleged abusers who remain unconvicted.
But Fettes has already made a ‘full and unreserved apology’ to any abused there and last month made a £400,000 payment to a former pupil who claimed ‘Edgar’ had sexually abused and beaten him when he was 12.
Edinburgh Academy has also publicly apologised ‘wholeheartedly’.
Scotland’s prosecuting body the Fiscal Service has said the case against ‘Edgar’ is ongoing.
South Africa’s National Prosecution Authority said the minister of justice has signed the order for him to be extradited to the UK, adding: ‘However, he has decided to appeal the matter.’