BETRAYED: Laura Lunn was aged 7 when she was first raped by David Scott ... Three years later she reported the abuse to police ... Ex-soldier Scott had already targeted other girls but police did not speak to them until two decades later ... The 'monster' has only now been brought to justice for abusing six girls over 45 years

A SURVIVOR of a serial paedophile has waived her right to anonymity to allege that he should have been brought to justice when she first reported him to police 21 years ago.

Former soldier David Scott, 60, abused and raped “generations of girls” in Edinburgh before being jailed for 12 years in May.

But 30-year-old Laura Lunn believes that he could have been stopped in 1997 when she reported her abuse to police.

Police Scotland say that “predator” Scott was “fully investigated” at the time.

They claim that he was not prosecuted due to “lack of corroboration”.

Laura was first targeted by family friend Scott at the age of seven. She describes him as “an absolute monster” and “evil”.

Over the following three years, he repeatedly raped and abused her — and threatened to kill her mother if she ever told anyone.

When Laura was 10, the abuse came to light after she wrote a letter to her mum telling her that she was unhappy.

At the time, numerous other girls had been targeted, but they were only spoken to by police when two new victims came forward last year.

Scott was jailed at the High Court in Glasgow for attacks on six girls, including Laura, over a 45-year period starting in 1970.

Laura has accused the police — along with Edinburgh City Council social workers and the Crown Office — of betraying her and of failing to protect later victims.

After reporting her ordeal, she felt as if she was “punished” by being removed from her family and placed in foster care.

She stopped attending school at the age of 14 and has attempted to take her own life.

She has decided to go public because she is angry at the authorities’ alleged failings and believes that other victims have yet to come forward.

Laura, from Edinburgh, said: “I spoke out when I was 10, but was never believed and he continued to rape other kids and get away with it.

“I can’t believe he got away with it for as long as he did and I do believe that the only reason he did was because the police didn’t do their job.

“I was terrified because he’d always threatened to kill my mum. For me coming forward to speak to my mum was massive because I had the fear that he was going to kill her.

“Rather than taking me to the station or to somewhere where children that have been abused should be taken, somewhere safer, they took me down to the flat where my mum lived and we did an interview there with a police officer and a social worker.

“It wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right, especially because I was terrified that I’d even said all this."

When a relative became upset, Laura clammed up and could not continue.

Laura was then placed in foster care even though the abuse had not taken place within her family or her home.

She said: “Why did I just get put into foster care? Why did I get dragged away and taken from my family? Why did I get punished for telling the truth?”

“If they’d investigated it back then when I’d spoken out, I believe that he would have been caught, he definitely would have been caught.

“There was too much evidence but they just swept it under the carpet, swept me under the carpet.

“It was not just the police. You’ve got the police, the Crown Office, social work, everything. I was let down by every single one of them.

“They should have investigated it further and they would have found other people. They had a duty of care. They all did, every single one of them, and they never did that.

“If they’d they done their job properly, at least two of the six victims would never have been abused.

“There was just too much. There’s so much evidence now when you look at it that you think how, what happened there 21 years ago?

“Why did I not get believed? Why did you not listen to me? Why did you not investigate it when all this is here and that was all there back then?

“I tried to kill myself that many times because I couldn’t cope with it.”

Scott served four years in the Army with the Royal Scots but left at the age of 20, allegedly for getting a 14 year old pregnant.

The Army say that data protection laws prevent them from providing information about Scott’s discharge and that their records may not even contain the reasons.

A spokeswoman said: “We note that a former soldier David Scott has been convicted after the completion of legal proceedings against him.

“Regards the details of his discharge, we are unable to provide these under data protection legislation.”

By the time Laura reported her abuse in 1997, Scott had already sexually abused at least two other girls and went on to target others.

While awaiting trial, Scott stayed in a centre for military veterans in Edinburgh.

When Laura reported him for alleged breach of bail by contacting her, she said the police failed again.

She said: “I got a friends request from David Scott on Facebook. I couldn’t breathe, I was like ‘oh my God’ and I phoned the police right away.

“The police came up, gave me a wee bit of paper and said things were a bit different these days.

“I said, wait a minute, he’s broken bail and I want you guys to connect this and find out that he’s done this to me.

“They were just fobbing me off, every time I phoned. I didn’t understand.

"He raped me all this years ago, he’s now been caught for it, he’s living 11 minutes away from me, opposite a primary school, he’s contacted me but you’re giving me nothing to make me feel protected. Yet again, all over again.”

After admitting 10 charges, judge Lady Stacey told Scott: "You moved through generations of girls. You created a culture of fear which allowed your abuse to carry on.”

Laura believes the 12 year sentence is inadequate and is angry that she was not told Scott can apply for parole after six years.

She said: “I remember falling into one of the other victim’s arms after it because I was so shocked. I could not believe it. I still can’t believe it.

“That’s not justice — two years per person when I’ve had to live through 21 years of hell.

“To get 12 years when he can apply for parole in six, I’m speechless about it. I just think it’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting. The justice system is a joke.”

She hopes that by speaking out, other victims of childhood sexual abuse may find the strength to come forward.

She said: “I want people to come forward, whether it’s been David Scott that’s abused or raped you or it’s been anybody else.

“He was a predator, a paedophile that’s been caught now for six us of and there’s definitely more in my opinion.

“He took my childhood away from me. I don’t feel that I was heard. I still don’t feel that I’ve got my justice.

“This is one of the reasons I’m doing this interview because he’s not getting away with it. It’s not over yet. Not for me it isn’t.”

A Police Scotland spokesman praised the “courage” of Scott’s victims.

They added: "Police in Edinburgh originally received a report of sexual assault perpetrated by David Scott in the 1990s. The matter was fully investigated and detailed statements were noted from the victim and potential witnesses.

"Scott was detained and interviewed at that time, however, due to a lack of corroboration, no charges were able to be libelled.

"Police Scotland is committed to bringing sexual crime offenders to justice and time is no barrier for our investigations”

Edinburgh City Council say that child safety is “of paramount importance”.

A spokesman added: “We work closely with Police Scotland and our other partner agencies to investigate any allegations of abuse, whether current or historical.

“These allegations are always taken extremely seriously and praise the strength and courage of victims who come forward.”

A spokesman for the Crown Office said that sexual offences are a high priority, citing the National Sexual Crimes Unit launched in 2009.

They added: “We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime to come forward, even if the crime was committed many years ago.

“They can be assured that they will be listened to and treated sensitively and with respect.”

Speaking out ... Laura Lunn

Serial paedophile ... David Scott

A version of this report was first published by BBC Scotland on September 13, 2018