Senior lawyer ‘is secret sex abuser’
After QC was last week found guilty of molesting and raping four children in 70s and 80s, one of his victims tells MoS that another unnamed f igure is implicated...and has been quizzed by cops
A VICTIM of a paedophile ring at the heart of Scotland’s legal establishment has sensationally claimed one of the men who abused her is still a high-profile lawyer.
As a child, Susie Henderson was raped by her father Robert Henderson QC – who, in an even more sickening act of cruel depravity, allowed her to be abused by a circle of his eminent lawyer friends.
Among her abusers was Edinburgh QC John Watt. The 72-year-old was finally convicted of child sex crimes against Ms Henderson and three others at the High Court in Glasgow last week.
The guilty verdict marked a significant victory for Ms Henderson, who first reported the horrific abuse at the hands of her father and his legal colleagues more than 20 years ago.
However, last night Ms Henderson disclosed that another of the men who abused her more than four decades ago remains in a position of power and influence within Scotland’s legal elite.
Ms Henderson has reported the abuse by the senior legal figure to police.
The Scottish Mail on Sunday understands he has been questioned as a suspect – but gave a string of ‘no comment’ answers.
And while police are understood to have left the file open, no prosecution is likely unless other victims come forward to corroborate Ms Henderson’s claims.
Last night, the 55-year-old said she was confident the senior lawyer had abused other people – and encouraged any victims to report their ordeal to police to help finally bring another paedophile to justice.
She said: ‘Currently the law
‘It’s not too late to come forward and expose him’
protects this man’s identity. But I am sure there are other victims of this man – who is still a prominent figure in the legal world.
‘Even years later, it’s not too late to come forward and expose him.
‘When I went to the police again in 2014, I knew this person was still alive and it annoyed me that he was still working.
‘He was interviewed by the police but I think it was no-comment interview he gave. Which is bizarre, if you were innocent would you not say that?
‘I would love to have been a fly on the wall when he heard the jury’s verdict on Watt. I hope he’s thinking “They’re coming for me next”.’
Watt was extradited in 2020 from Oklahoma in the United States, having moved there in the mid-90s with his wife.
He was convicted of raping Ms Henderson. He was further found guilty of lewd and libidinous behaviour against her, another girl and a boy, and also convicted of indecently assaulting a third girl.
Watt often worked and mingled with a number of leading names in the legal fraternity at the time including Ms Henderson’s father Robert. The QC had been raping and abusing his daughter since she was a toddler, before passing her round some of the top lawyers in the country including the senior court figure who remains a legal professional, Ms Henderson says.
She recalls attacks by former Solicitor General Sir Nicholas Fairbairn and Sheriff Andrew Lothian.
Ms Henderson also remembers abuse at the hands of the other man, who cannot be named for legal reasons. He is also believed to have targeted other children, including boys.
Having secured some justice with last week’s conviction of Watt, she is now determined to give evidence against her remaining abuser if more victims come forward to report their ordeals. She added: ‘I said it was over and I wouldn’t do it again but at the end of the day I would, if people came forward for the remaining person.
‘What I would say to anybody is, the more people who come
forward the more
EXTRADITED: Our 2020 story on Watt chance these abusers won’t get away with it.’
Police Scotland advised anyone who has been a victim of non-recent child abuse or knows of anyone who has to contact them. Detective Chief Inspector Steven Bertram said: ‘John Watt has been held to account for abuse he committed and the damage he has caused.
‘We hope his victims take consola
Heading back to Scotland to face justice... lawyer held in US after child sex probe ‘It is the victims’ bravery that led to his conviction’
tion from this outcome, it is their bravery that led to Watt’s conviction. We understand how difficult it can be to report abuse. Every case is different and our investigations are tailored to the needs of people reporting non-recent offences.
‘Police Scotland will fully investigate all reports regardless of when the offences took place, or who is reported to have committed those offences.’