Joanne Smith

Two Decades after she was abused by her music teacher, Emma saw a post on Social Media which made her fear he could still be preying on Young Girls .

So she tracked down a girl whose photo she had taken from his Home - setting in course The Events which would lead to Peter Antonelli being jailed for The Rape and sexual abuse of six children.

He was a respected teacher and musical theatre director, and The Head of instrumental Music Education for East Lothian Council until 2019. He was even awarded an MBE.

But now he is in prison after being found guilty of raping and sexually abusing six children in East Lothian over a 25-year period.

Emma was among them. She was sexually abused by Antonelli from the late 1990s until 2005.

She had not spoken about the abuse for two Decades - But then in 2018, she was scrolling through Facebook when she saw something which filled her with dread.

" I'd seen a post asking for children from age eight to 16 to audition for Peter Antonelli's musical group, " she told The Bbc 's Disclosure programme.

" It really triggered everything that I'd gone through, and I just thought: 'Could this be happening to other children'? "

So Emma went searching for two photographs of a girl which she had taken from The Music studio Antonelli had in his Home .

" Her name was on the back, and the date: 1983. It was a photo of a girl that Peter had talked about often, " She Said .

Emma wondered if This Girl was also an abuse survivor.

She searched for her online, and found a name and face that looked familiar. She sent her a message asking to speak to her about her time at The School .

That Girl was Grace, who has asked The Bbc to change her name. She immediately knew what Emma was going to ask her about.

" There was Nothing Else that happened to me there that was as traumatic or life-changing as that, " She Said .

Grace was one of Antonelli's earliest victims.

She was having a Hard Time At Home , living with her grandparents. The Piano Lessons he gave her at Preston Lodge High School in the 1980s were a refuge.

He became her confidante, and invited her to his Home to practice. He gave her alcohol.

On The Day of her grandmother's funeral, he took advantage of her vulnerability to profess his love. She was just 14 years old.

Sitting on The Piano stool in Antonelli's mother's house, he asked her to Take Off some of her clothes.

" Other things happened after that. He told me immediately: 'You cannae tell your granda. '

" I felt like somehow This Was my fault, and I couldn't extricate myself from it.

" And so I just kept it, like a stone in The Pit of my stomach. "

The abuse continued for The Next five years. Disclosure has spoken to witnesses from The Time Who Said there was gossip about their relationship, and that some teachers knew.

At the same time, Antonelli had been assaulting children at Prestonpans Primary School.

One of his victims, who was in primary six, told The Bbc that she and other girls were called into a meeting with a senior teacher. She told them Antonelli had inappropriately touched her, But says no action seemed to be taken by The School .

By The Time Emma started at Preston Lodge, Antonelli had abused five other girls. He told Emma that they had an " adult love". Like Grace, she was also aged just 14.

" He explained to me that adults when they love each other they kiss and they touch and they have sex and that's when the sexual abuse began, " She Said .

One teacher, Neil Spencer, noticed Antonelli's behaviour towards Emma.

" I was walking through The School hall, and Antonelli was teaching piano. And he was in a position which immediately as A Teacher I felt was inappropriate, " He Said .

He Said Antonelli had been very close to Emma while he was leaning over her.

" His hands were on hers, his arms across her arms. So he was almost enveloping her. "

Neil Spencer says he told another teacher about this incident, But his concerns were dismissed.

He says he complained more formally to a senior staff member later when he was told by another pupil that Antonelli's relationship with Emma was sexual. He says nothing appeared to change.

East Lothian Council said it was " shocked and sickened" by Antonelli's offences. It is carrying out a review of its safeguarding policies, procedures and systems.

A spokesperson said this would lead to continuous improvement and would ensure that The Council 's measures were as robust as possible.

" The safety and wellbeing of children and Young People in East Lothian is our top priority and all staff are required to follow strict reporting and safeguarding procedures, " it said.

" We strive to provide an environment where anyone who witnesses, or experiences, inappropriate behaviour is supported, and that suitable action is taken. "

Emma was also part of The Local amateur musical drama society run by Antonelli. She says he also abused her in rehearsal spaces, But no-one seemed to care about their strangely close relationship.

" It was really evident that there were certain adults that did not Like Me , " She Said .

" I was definitely seen to be some kind of needy Problem Child , whereas his behaviour was never put into question. "

The Group , called Musical Youth , had been Set Up by Antonelli in 1992. As an informal private group, there was no scrutiny or oversight, despite working closely with children.

Joanne Smith , from the NSPCC, said This Was " a massive Grey Area that warrants really urgent attention.

" Adults within those settings often have very specific power and influence over the Young People in their care. "

She Said The Law needed to be tightened to ensure that children could enjoy activities that they love without The Fear of being groomed by adults who are supposed to protect them.

Fearing that children could still be At Risk from Antonelli after seeing the Facebook advert for his group, Grace and Emma gave statements to The Police and he was arrested.

They also tried to recall The Names of all their classmates who had been taught by him, and passed them on to police.

Last Year Antonelli was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of The Rape and sexual abuse of six children in East Lothian between 1980 and 2005.

But Grace is certain that there are more Out There .

" One friend of mine has said she'll come forward once her mum passes, " She Said .

" She can't bear for her mum to know about it, so she Will come forward after that time. So that means logically there must be others. "

It is rare for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out about their experiences, But Emma says she had no choice.

" I want To Live in A Society where these things stop happening, " She Said .

" And I want to protect Future Generations . None of The Adults in My Life did it for me, and I Will not be an adult that doesn't do this for other girls. "

Will be broadcast at 22:35 on Monday 11 April on Bbc One Scotland .

Source of news: bbc.com