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Teacher accused of abuse at Edinburgh schools arrested

A former teacher who the BBC presenter Nicky Campbell said he witnessed molesting a classmate at an Edinburgh school has been arrested in South Africa.

The man, who the BBC is calling Edgar, taught at private schools Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College in the 1960s and 70s.

The 83-year-old attended a s.e.xual offences office near Claremont Police Station, in Cape Town, on Monday morning. He is due to appear in court later.

The former teacher claims he did not molest students when he returned to South Africa to teach at a prestigious boys’ school in Cape Town. South Africa approved a UK extradition request in 2020 but there have been a series of delays to an appeal of this decision by the 83-year-old.

Broadcaster Campbell, who attended Edinburgh Academy, is one of a number of former pupils at that school who have made allegations about him.

In December, a man who said he was abused by the former teacher at Fettes College in the 1970s was awarded £450,000 in damages. Both Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College have apologised to victims of abuse.

Source: BBC

In other news – Charities urge PM to stop using hotels to house migrant children

More than 100 charities have written to Rishi Sunak calling for an end to housing child asylum seekers in hotels, after about 200 went missing.

Rishi Sunak

The organisations warned the prime minster that children were at risk of exploitation, with one calling it a “child protection scandal”. There is concern that children are being trafficked into criminal gangs. Learn more

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