Former students abused by a paedophile teacher in East Renfrewshire have spoken out about the decision to keep their abuser behind bars.
Music teacher William Wright was jailed for 20 months for sexually abusing female students at Eastwood High between 1974-90.
The 81-year-old was already serving a four-year sentence for abusing girls at the school after being convicted in 2018.
A parole hearing took place last week to decide whether he should be released on a home detention curfew, which sees offenders fitted with tags and serving the rest of their sentence at home.
Victims have previously blasted his “lenient” prison sentence and insisted he should spend the maximum amount of time behind bars.
Brave Carol Burns, who waived her right to anonymity to accuse the school of covering up his sex abuse, told the Daily Record: “I’m very happy the justice system made the right decision and didn’t let him out just because of his old age.
“I’m pleased they took our objections into account.”
Another victim, who did not wish to be named, said: “I am hugely relieved but I’m just feeling exhausted and numb from the stress and anxiety in the run-up to this postponed parole hearing.
“We knew he was going to be up for parole in December and had to make representations for this around September.
“We waited all day on December 22 to then hear that a decision couldn’t be made. For the oral hearing on Wednesday, we had to do further representations about whether he should be released on a home detention curfew. I found all this hugely difficult and emotionally draining. It’s been torture, not just for me but my whole family seeing me go through this turmoil.
“Seeing his face in my head has been tormenting me with nightmares and the fear of him being released to abuse again. I was preparing for the worst. I cannot express or yet feel the relief that this predatory paedophile is still in jail.
“It has restored some belief that there are people out there in the justice system hearing what victims are actually saying.
“This is the key to why I still feel numb. I’m scared to believe he is actually locked up again for another year before parole is considered, that we victims have truly been heard.
“It is some compensation for the 37 years of my life his actions have destroyed.”
After he was jailed for four years in 2018 for abusing kids from 1974-81, Carol and two other women came forward. Wright was accused of abusing all three and went on trial at Paisley Sheriff Court last year.
After one of the women, now 47, gave evidence, Wright pled guilty to abusing her from 1985-90. The charges involving Carol and the other woman were dropped before Wright was jailed for 20 months.
At the second trial, the first witness told the court she’d been abused by music teacher Wright more than 1000 times.
