A former pupil at a top Scottish private school has told of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the same teacher as BBC presenter Nicky Campbell.
Neil Russell described beatings he endured from history teacher Hamish Dawson while boarding at Edinburgh Academy. He branded Dawson, who is dead, a “brutal, brutal” man who would bind boys with school ties then “interfere” with them.
Broadcaster Nicky revealed in July how Dawson “touched him inappropriately” while he was attending the school in the 1970s. Nicky told how Dawson “put me – and others – over his knee in mirthful moments where, behind the laughter of the class, he’d tickle, his fingers wandering over my genitals”.
Neil contacted Nicky, who was five years below him at the Academy, after he publicly shared his horrific experiences. The pair spoke on Nicky’s BBC podcast, Different, which was released yesterday, about abuse at the school.
The podcast has now been contacted by 81 individuals outlining the torment they suffered, and 19 abusive teachers have been named. Last month Police Scotland launched an investigation.
In the podcast, Neil told how Dawson was his housemaster and outlined his behaviour in the dormitory bedrooms. He said: “It would be somebody’s turn.
"He had two favourites. One was very mature and one was very immature.
“He used to strip them and then, using the school ties, to tie them to the metal frames and then he’d interfere with them and we had to watch.”
Neil said Dawson inflicted sexual and physical abuse on boys. He said: “He did both. He was a brutal, brutal man.”
He said there had been a culture of “closing ranks at the school”. Nicky said he’d been interviewed by police.
He said: “It took a burden away from me, speaking to the cops, and they were brilliant. I spoke about Hamish Dawson and the man who beat me up as well, and another man who beat us all up.”
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