Dunblane ‘cover-up’ accusations discussed
● Automatic 100-year closure rule applied to police reports led to ‘strong public perception’ that information was being hidden
Official papers released today reveal how government ministers discussed the need to “close down” a public perception of a cover-up surrounding the Dunblane massacre.
A 100-year ban applied to police reports from 1991 covered investigations into incidents of alleged abuse at a summer camp run by Thomas Hamilton, who killed 16 primary school children and their teacher in 1996.
Speculation emerged that the reports linked the mass murderer with members of the Scottish Establishment.
Government ministers discussed the need to “close down” the public perception of a cover-up over the Dunblane massacre, official papers reveal.
Thomas Hamilton shot and killed 16 primary school pupils and their teacher in the gym hall of Dunblane Primary School on 13 March, 1996, before turning the gun on himself.
A public inquiry was held into the massacre, led by Lord Cullen, and a campaign led by bereaved parents resulted in a handgun ban.
Newly-released Scottish Executive papers from 2003 show that Scottish ministers discussed a wish to shut down views of a cover-up in connection with the 100-year closure rule applied to police reports on Hamilton. That ban covered police reports from 1991, investigating incidents of alleged abuse at a summer camp run by Hamilton.
Speculation emerged that the reports linked the mass murderer with members of the Scottish Establishment.
Extracts published during the Cullen Inquiry showed a 1991 police report recommended Hamilton should be prosecuted for his activities at the summer camp and have his gun licence revoked, but no further action was taken.
The Cabinet minutes from February 2003 state: “The Lord Advocate said the 100 years closure to the police reports on Thomas Hamilton had been applied in order to protect the children concerned and their siblings.
“If the documents were released earlier into the public domain, there would be a possibility that individuals who were still alive could be identified.
“The documents had, however, been made available in full to the Dunblane Inquiry.”
They continued: “There was a strong public perception of a cover-up. A 100 years closure seemed incomprehensibly lengthy to the public … What mattered was to close the story down.”
The papers continued: “Releasing a sanitised form of the report would be more difficult than generally thought and administratively costly.
“Doing so might not be sufficient to satisfy concerns.
“One alternative might be to indicate that the papers had been reviewed by an independent person who could assure the public that they did not contain the kind of references which had been suggested.”
In 2005, then Lord Advocate Colin Boyd lifted the restriction on some documents closed under the 100-year rule following pressure from families of some of the victims.
The Scottish Office, the Crown Office and Lord Cullen had previously agreed that some information should be kept confidential for 100 years to avoid it causing distress to the victims or their siblings.
The Crown Office denied that the decision was made to protect the identities of public figures involved in the inquiry and the controversy over Hamilton’s access to firearms and background working with children.
In 2018, it emerged a military boarding school with alleged links to Hamilton is to be investigated by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Queen Victoria School was one of 17 additional institutions to be included in the national inquiry led by judge Lady Smith.
The Dunblane school, which serves the families of military personnel, had previously been linked to Hamilton.
Last year, Glen Harrison, a former housemaster, claimed pupils were abused by a paedophile ring at the school in the 1980s and 1990s. He said he first raised his concerns with police in 1991.
Scottish Cabinet ministers were told the UK Department of Health was investigating a claim of knowingly supplying contaminated blood, newly released files from 2003 show.
Official documents show Scotland’s then health minister Malcolm Chisholm telling the Cabinet of the Scottish Executive at a meeting in October 2003 there were two current issues relating to the contaminated blood scandal – recommendations for compensations levels and the claim the contaminated blood and knowingly been supplied.
Thousands of people across the UK in the 1970s and 1980s were given blood products infect-
Blood supply claims were investigated and payouts to victims discussed in 2003
By Laura Paterson