Ex-pupil adds voice to tackle bully ‘culture’

Aformer Crieff High School pupil has said she felt anxious and depressed after allegedly being repeatedly sexually assaulted by a group of senior pupils.

It was late 2010 when Sophie Beattie, then an S1 pupil, claims she was first inappropriately touched by members of the group.

She took her allegations to the junior year head, who Sophie says brushed off her claims as they weren’t caught on CCTV.

Sophie left school in 2016 but said she felt inspired to speak out after Anna De Garis, a current pupil, wrote an open letter claiming sexism, bullying and racism is “rife” at the Perthshire secondary school.

Five months after the first alleged incident, Sophie, now 23, escalated the issue to a senior school leader, who immediately took her seriously.

This was also the first time she and her family were given a sit-down meeting to discuss the allegations. The claims were also reported to the police and Sophie gave a full statement.

But she says she spent the rest of her high school life looking over her shoulder, afraid of what could happen next.

She said: “After the second (complaint), I thought ‘am I making a big deal out of nothing?’

“It made me question myself and the severity of it.

“I definitely felt that I wasn’t really being taken seriously.”

Sophie, who is bisexual, also claims she felt unable to report pupils who bullied her for her appearance, sexuality and weight.

“It just seemed like it’s an accepted part of school culture and teachers didn’t care,” she said.

Sophie hopes school staff are given more training on how to support pupils who are being bullied or who are self-harming.

One teacher, she said, noticed her self-harm scars but did not – as far as she knows – report them to guidance who would be able to support Sophie. And she has come forward in the hope that current and future pupils will not have the same experience.

Perth and Kinross Council has launched an investigation into current allegations regarding Crieff High School.

A spokesman said: “We want all our children and young people to feel safe in our schools and take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

“The review will give young people the opportunity to share their experiences directly with us so we can ensure we have the best policies and processes in place.

“We do not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination of any kind and would always urge children, parents and carers to report any such incidents to us.”

The Courier contacted Police Scotland regarding the alleged sexual assault. However, they were unable to confirm details of any involvement.

ASSAULT: Sophie Beattie claims Crieff High School did not take allegations of sexual harassment seriously and that racism and homophobia had been commonplace.