The Inquiry held a preliminary hearing on Tuesday 31 January 2017 at Parliament House in Edinburgh.
During the hearing Lady Smith gave a comprehensive update on the work of the Inquiry and the significant progress it has made to date
Lady Smith gave details of the investigations currently underway, confirming that over 50 residential care establishments for children are being investigated by Inquiry staff ahead of future public hearings. These are among more than 100 locations that have been identified where abuse of children has been said to have taken place.
The current investigations include institutions run by faith based organisations, other major care providers, boarding schools and local authorities. A full list is at the foot of this page.
Details were announced of the focus of public hearings to be held later this year. The public hearings will proceed in phases, with the first commencing on 31 May 2017. Phase one will cover:
- Interim reports of commissioned research
- The State’s role in, and responsibility for, children in residential and foster care in Scotland
- The history and governance of organisations providing residential and foster care
- The background to, and reasons for, the establishment of survivor groups
Panel member Glenn Houston described the Inquiry’s forthcoming publicity campaign to encourage people to get in touch with the Inquiry. He detailed the steps that would be taken to increase work with relevant organisations, the production of a range of publicity material and public information campaigns across Scotland.
Video recording
A video recording of the hearing was made and is available.
Speeches
You can also read a text version of the speeches by Lady Smith and Glenn Houston.
Core Participants
The legal representatives of those organisations and individuals who have so far been recognised as core participants introduced themselves:
- FBGA (Former Boys and Girls Abused of Quarriers Homes) - Stuart Gale QC
- INCAS (In Care Abuse Survivors) - Simon Collins
- Quarriers - Duncan Batchelor
- The Chief Constable of Police Scotland - Duncan Hamilton
- The Scottish Ministers - Christine O'Neill
Current investigations
Institutions run by religious orders
- Benedictines
- Sisters of Nazareth
- Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
- Christian Brothers
- Sisters of our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
- De la Salle Brothers
- Marist Brothers
- Church of Scotland (Crossreach)
Other providers
- Quarriers
- Barnardo’s
- Aberlour Child Care Trust
- Widower’s Children’s Home
Boarding schools
- Fettes College
- Gordonstoun
- The former Keil School
- Loretto School
- Merchiston Castle School
- Morrison’s Academy (when it was a boarding school)
Local authority establishments
- Clerwood Children’s Home, Edinburgh
- Colonsay House, Perth
- Nimmo Place Children’s Homes, Perth
- St Margaret’s Children’s Home, Fife
- Linwood Hall Children’s Home, Fife
- Kerelaw Secure Unit, Glasgow
- St Katherine’s Secure Unit, Edinburgh
- Larchgrove Remand Home, Glasgow
A full list of current investigations can be found on the Investigations page of this website.