EAST Lothian’s MSP is calling for a council investigation after Peter Antonelli was able to abuse his victims in schools for decades.
Antonelli, 66, was found guilty of raping and sexually abusing former pupils after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh last week – he has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing later this month.
East Lothian MSP Paul McLennan said: “I would like to pass on my sympathies to the victims over the 25-year period as referenced in the trial.
“It’s very worrying that the detestable actions performed by Mr Antonelli over that period of time weren’t picked up earlier.
“I will be asking the council to carry out a formal review into this matter to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We need to ensure parents have confidence that their children are safe from predatory behaviour when at school.”
Mr McLennan highlighted that the East Lothian Council-backed 16 Days of Activism worldwide campaign, tackling violence against women and girls, launched last Thursday. “We need to make sure all women, girls and boys are safe in our schools,” he added.
An East Lothian Council spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of the recent High Court proceedings against a former employee of East Lothian Council that have resulted in criminal convictions, and that sentence is still to be determined.The safety and wellbeing of children and young people in East Lothian is our main priority and we continue to take all necessary steps to keep under review our processes and procedures to ensure that they remain protected and safeguarded at all times when in our care.”
Mary Glasgow, chief executive at Children 1st, Scotland’s national children’s charity, said it was “incredibly courageous” for individuals to speak up about child abuse and they hoped that the former pupils were getting all the support they needed to recover from the long-term traumatic impact of their experiences.
“Time and again, the public have seen the way that abusers have been able to exploit their positions of power to harm children and young people without challenge,” she said. “Keeping children safe should be the top priority of all employers, organisations and voluntary-run activities who work with children; if anybody has worries about another person’s behaviour towards a child, they must raise it.”
Children 1st’s Parentline can provide support and advice on 08000 28 22 33 or via children1st.org.uk/parentline
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