A retired teacher wanted in Scotland for multiple sexual abuse offences is now facing 90 additional charges after being rearrested in South Africa, deepening a decades-old case that has drawn widespread attention from former pupils and campaigners.
Eighty-six-year-old Iain Wares, who taught at Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College in the 1960s and 70s, is accused of abusing dozens of boys during his time at the two prestigious institutions.
Among those who have spoken publicly about the alleged abuse is BBC broadcaster Nicky Campbell.
Wares relocated to South Africa in 1979 and continued to teach there until 2006. Although a South African court approved his extradition to Scotland last year on three initial charges, the process was postponed after UK prosecutors submitted further charges for consideration.
The latest developments come after 65 individuals came forward claiming to have suffered sexual and physical abuse under his care. Victims have long accused both schools of concealing the abuse and failing to report the allegations, allowing Wares to move abroad freely.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland previously indicated that he was facing 74 charges, following an extradition request first made in 2018. His arrest in Cape Town that year was based on seven counts of lewd, indecent, and libidinous behaviour.
Meanwhile, a separate trial against him is ongoing in South Africa after new accusations emerged from a former student there. Wares is currently out on bail, with his extradition hearing set for November 20.
For many survivors, the arrest represents a long-awaited acknowledgment of their suffering.
Neil Douglas, a former Edinburgh Academy pupil who says he was abused at the age of 10, described the news as overwhelming.
He said: “We would love that on the 20th of November he is found liable for extradition, that the justice minister has no reason to delay signing the extradition order and that he is sent on a plane back to Scotland to face justice as soon as possible.
“Many of us made complaints about Iain Wares 20, 30, 40, some 50 years ago, and we were ignored and we weren’t listened to.
“If he comes back to Scotland and faces justice, then, as a friend of mine said, it’s like the grown-ups are listening. Finally someone is listening, finally someone is doing something about it. It will mean so much.”
BBC presenter Nicky Campbell said the progress gave hope to those who had waited decades for accountability.
He said: “It seems like we’ve gotten somewhere at last and there is a realistic prospect of Mr Wares facing a fair trial in Scotland, in Edinburgh where he worked for so long.
“Our dream, after everything that has happened in so many lives, is to stand on the steps of the court in Edinburgh one Friday afternoon and say thank you.”
Laura Connor from Thompsons Solicitors, which represents many of the former pupils, said the new charges underscored “the depth of depravity that existed within both institutions.”
She said: “It yet again highlights the depth of depravity that existed in both Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy. It also shows the culture of denial and coverup on behalf of both schools towards the innocent children being abused under their care.”
In response, Edinburgh Academy rector Barry Welsh reaffirmed the school’s commitment to engaging openly with survivors.
He said: “Our commitment to facing up to the wrongs of the past is unwavering, and will remain so irrespective of this legal process. Our door is always open to any of our former pupils who wish to discuss their experiences.”
