Campbell: abuser is too old to extradite

THE BBC presenter Nicky Campbell has claimed that an alleged abuser who worked at his childhood school has not been extradited from South Africa because he is too old.

The 61-year-old host recently revealed he was physically and sexually abused at Edinburgh Academy, a Scottish private school, in the 1970s and witnessed the abuse of other children at the hands of a teacher referred to as “Edgar”, who he claims now lives in South Africa.

Campbell has now claimed that this alleged abuser could be “one of the most prolific paedophiles in British criminal history”, but has not been extradited to the UK because of his age.

Campbell told BBC Breakfast yesterday: “As for extradition, we cannot work out why that process has stalled. Initially the authorities said ‘age is a problem’.”

He continued: “They said, ‘Oh it’s something to do with Brexit because the treaties have changed.’ We don’t think that’s the case. We can’t get any answers.

“All those little boys… are being denied justice.”

The presenter has claimed “Edgar” may have carried out his abuse for decades, and revealed that he features in the ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

He said: “If you work it out through his entire 30 year career, how many boys he must have abused… we’re talking hundreds.”

The host of the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show said that during his school days at the Edinburgh Academy he was physically abused by another teacher – who is still alive – and molested by yet another, who is now dead.

He recounted on his BBC Sounds podcast Different that he had been “horribly beaten up” by a teacher “who was a leading light in the Scripture Union”.

In a statement to the BBC, Edinburgh Academy said it “deeply regrets” the alleged incidents and apologised “wholeheartedly” to those involved.