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| Kerelaw abuse inquiry announced | Kerelaw abuse inquiry announced |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| An independent inquiry is to be held into a school for vulnerable youngsters hit by allegations of child abuse. | An independent inquiry is to be held into a school for vulnerable youngsters hit by allegations of child abuse. |
| The Kerelaw Residential Unit in Stevenson, Ayrshire, was closed in 2006 following a police investigation. | The Kerelaw Residential Unit in Stevenson, Ayrshire, was closed in 2006 following a police investigation. |
| The inquiry, jointly commissioned by the government and Glasgow City Council, will make recommendations to help prevent similar abuse in future. | The inquiry, jointly commissioned by the government and Glasgow City Council, will make recommendations to help prevent similar abuse in future. |
| Adam Ingram, minister for children, told MSPs that lessons had to be learned from what happened. | Adam Ingram, minister for children, told MSPs that lessons had to be learned from what happened. |
| Last year, two men were found guilty of physically and sexually abusing children in their care at Kerelaw, which looked after children with significant emotional, social and behavioural problems. | Last year, two men were found guilty of physically and sexually abusing children in their care at Kerelaw, which looked after children with significant emotional, social and behavioural problems. |
| Abuse history | Abuse history |
| Art teacher Matthew George, 56, was jailed for 10 years at the High Court in Edinburgh for a "horrifying catalogue" of 18 offences. | Art teacher Matthew George, 56, was jailed for 10 years at the High Court in Edinburgh for a "horrifying catalogue" of 18 offences. |
| Residential care worker John Muldoon, 53, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for four offences. | Residential care worker John Muldoon, 53, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for four offences. |
| Earlier this year, the Crown Office said it was taking no further action over 10 cases of alleged abuse at the school. | Earlier this year, the Crown Office said it was taking no further action over 10 cases of alleged abuse at the school. |
| Glasgow City Council also spent three years investigating the workings of the unit and a report found that as many as 40 care workers abused children at Kerelaw. | Glasgow City Council also spent three years investigating the workings of the unit and a report found that as many as 40 care workers abused children at Kerelaw. |
| Mr Ingram said it had uncovered an "unacceptable and long-standing history" of child abuse. | Mr Ingram said it had uncovered an "unacceptable and long-standing history" of child abuse. |
| KERELAW INQUIRY AIMS Insight into circumstances of the abuseExamine Glasgow council's stewardship of the schoolConsider steps taken by the council after the closureRecommendations to avoid a repeat of KerelawIdentify other child protection issues | KERELAW INQUIRY AIMS Insight into circumstances of the abuseExamine Glasgow council's stewardship of the schoolConsider steps taken by the council after the closureRecommendations to avoid a repeat of KerelawIdentify other child protection issues |
| "We would be doing a great disservice to all those involved if we did not consider what we can learn from the Kerelaw situation," he told MSPs. | "We would be doing a great disservice to all those involved if we did not consider what we can learn from the Kerelaw situation," he told MSPs. |
| "I want to be assured that abuse, and allegations of abuse, on the scale and over that duration cannot ever happen again in a residential setting in Scotland. | "I want to be assured that abuse, and allegations of abuse, on the scale and over that duration cannot ever happen again in a residential setting in Scotland. |
| "We owe it to the children who were abused, to the staff not involved in the abuse but caught up in the events by association, and to all children in residential settings who we have a responsibility to safeguard." | "We owe it to the children who were abused, to the staff not involved in the abuse but caught up in the events by association, and to all children in residential settings who we have a responsibility to safeguard." |
| The detailed remit of the inquiry, to be chaired by the former senior civil servant Eddie Frizzell, will be outlined in the new year. | The detailed remit of the inquiry, to be chaired by the former senior civil servant Eddie Frizzell, will be outlined in the new year. |
| It will also aim to gain an insight as to the circumstances which led to abuse at Kerelaw, examine Glasgow council's stewardship of the unit and the steps which the local authority took in the wake of the closure. | It will also aim to gain an insight as to the circumstances which led to abuse at Kerelaw, examine Glasgow council's stewardship of the unit and the steps which the local authority took in the wake of the closure. |
| The announcement was welcomed by MSPs. |