Police Scotland has declared an inquiry into alleged historical abuse at a former residential school as a “critical incident,” due to the complexity of the investigation and the resources required. Operation Chalk is currently investigating claims of physical and sexual abuse at Kerelaw School between the 1970s and 2000s. Ten individuals in connection with alleged abuses at the Ayrshire school, which has been closed since 2006, were arrested earlier this year.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson stated that the officers were set on investigating new allegations since 2015. As the inquiry has progressed, additional specialist resources have been invested to ensure the best possible outcome for victims in the case. “There have been a number of further arrests made in recent months in relation to this investigation, and we continue to work with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service,” he added.
The council-run Kerelaw site started in 1970 as a residential unit for boys. It later transformed into a co-educational institution with a mixed sex secure unit in 1983. It catered to young people with deeply psychological, behavioural, and emotional needs, some of whom had been involved in minor crime or substance use. The Stevenston site has become a subject of both physical and sexual abuse allegations over the years.
The guidance states that “major incidents,” such as rape and murder, can sometimes be considered “critical” due to casualty numbers and media attention. However, a critical incident may only involve as few as one agency response with few people and no casualties. A police spokeswoman stated that the Kerelaw case has been declared a “critical incident” because of its prolonged investigation period and its impact on potential victims and the larger community.
Two former Kerelaw employees, a teacher, and a care worker, were sentenced to a total of 28 years in jail last January for physically and sexually abusing children at Kerelaw between the 1970s and 2000s. Police Scotland recently confirmed 10 new arrests linked to abuse allegations at the school. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service verified that it had received reports linked to ten individuals. In 2009, Glasgow City Council, which had taken over the school from the old Strathclyde Regional Council, released a report stating that Kerelaw had been poorly managed. Evidence regarding the school was also heard by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in March, but it has yet to release its findings
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