Ten further arrests made over alleged historic abuse at former residential school
A further 10 arrests have been made as police continue to probe historic allegations of abuse at a former residential school in Stevenston.
Kerelaw (pictured) was a secure establishment for vulnerable or troubled youngsters until 2004.
Last year, two people were jailed for abuse spanning from 1975 until the school’s closure in the early 2000s, involving 28 victims.
Police confirmed a further 10 people have been arrested this year.
In January 2023, ex-art teacher Matthew George, 73, from Largs, and 69-year-old ex-care worker John Muldoon, from Irvine, were jailed for a total of 28 years.
The pair had previously been locked up in 2006 after being found guilty of a number of similar offences in relation to pupils at the same school.
After more complainers came forward, they stood trial again, and in 2022 they were convicted of a litany of charges involving physical and sexual abuse at the High Court in Glasgow.
George was sentenced to 16 years in prison while Muldoon was jailed for 12.
Between January and May this year, police made 10 arrests in relation to allegations of abuse, including three women.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A further seven men and three woman, aged 77, 74, 68, 65, 64, 61, 61, 59, 55 and 52, were arrested between January and May 2024 in connection with alleged non-recent sexual and physical abuse at a school in North Ayrshire.
“Reports have been submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The procurator fiscal has received reports relating to 10 individuals and non-recent abuse said to have occurred at Kerelaw School in North Ayrshire.”
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has recently heard evidence about Kerelaw, with the findings yet to be published.
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