Lessons of Kerelaw

The revelation that around 40 individual members of staff at Kerelaw School and secure unit in Ayrshire were involved directly in the abuse of young people is truly shocking. We have known for some time there was something rotten at the heart of the management of this centre for some of the most difficult of Scotland's youngsters, but the scale of the staff involvement is more serious than any such case so far. The distressing fact that many more staff knew abuse was going on or likely to happen, but were unwilling or too frightened to report their colleagues to higher authorities, brings into the light at last the extent to which these teenagers were exploited by the adults who were employed to care for them. It underlines the impossible situation of these young people.