Dunblane killer report leaves questions unanswered

Annanova - Tuesday 18th March 2003

Original Link - http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_762060.html

A police report into Dunblane killer Thomas Hamilton has failed to cast any light on why authorities did not prevent his gun licence being renewed.

The 230-page dossier had been widely tipped to give information on Hamilton's application for a handgun licence, and outline his alleged links to the Masonic movement.

Instead it detailed four investigations that were conducted against Hamilton between 1988 and 1993 over complaints about alleged abuse and mistreatment of boys at youth camps he ran.

Unemployed Hamilton killed 16 primary school children and their teacher in Dunblane in March 1996 before taking his own life.

One document describes an investigation into a complaint made by parents whose child attended a youth club at Stirling High School. One parent, whose name was blanked out in the report, made the complaint in July 1993.

The parent claimed their child had been set to attend football coaching run by Hamilton, but it was subsequently discovered the boy had been made to wear a tight gym costume and carry out gymnastics while photographs were taken of him.

The police report raised concerns Hamilton "induces certain children to dress in very tight, ill-fitting tunics which he provides for them outwith the knowledge of parents" and took photographs of them in "questionable circumstances".

It also stated that Glasgow-born Hamilton had been reported to the procurator fiscal on two occasions over his behaviour to children, but it is not clear what happened to the cases.

Details of the investigations into Hamilton, who had run various youth clubs for boys throughout central Scotland, and subsequent police action, were considered by a 1996 public inquiry led by Lord Cullen.

Story filed: 16:58 Tuesday 18th March 2003

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