South Africa
1Min
South Africa
Oct 23, 2025
Former teacher and self-confessed paedophile Iain Wares, 86, was arrested at the Simon’s Town Magistrates’ Court on a United Kingdom extradition warrant for the alleged abuse of 65 boys in Scotland during the 1960s and 1970s. He was released on bail and is expected to appear again on 20 November 2025.
Former teacher and convicted sex offender Iain Wares, 86, was arrested at the Simon’s Town Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning under a United Kingdom extradition warrant.
The warrant relates to the alleged sexual and physical abuse of 65 boys in Scotland during the 1960s and 1970s. The indictment contains 90 counts of abuse.
Wares handed himself over to the authorities and was formally arrested before his court appearance. He was granted bail and is expected to return to court on 20 November 2025 when the magistrate will decide whether he can be extradited to the United Kingdom.
If extradition is approved, the Minister of Justice is expected to issue a Section 11 surrender warrant that would allow Interpol to transport Wares to Scotland to face trial. The arrest marks a significant step for survivors and child rights advocates in both South Africa and the United Kingdom who have campaigned for decades to bring him before a court.
Neil Douglas, a survivor and spokesperson for the victims in the United Kingdom, said the arrest brought relief after years of struggle. “This man sexually and physically abused hundreds of boys and has escaped justice for over half a century. It is only through the tireless work of WMACA and the survivors that we have got to this point. When I heard that he had been arrested and will appear again on the twentieth of November, I cried. I really cannot believe that he may finally have to answer to his crimes in a Scottish court,” said Douglas.
The arrest follows years of administrative delays and comes only a week after Wares gave evidence in the State v Wares criminal trial at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court. That case concerns separate child sexual abuse charges linked to his time as a teacher at Rondebosch Preparatory School in the 1980s. During his testimony, Wares told the court he could not recall the complainant, identified by the pseudonym Stephen, but moments later admitted he had taught the boy Geography twice a week.
Despite numerous allegations and public admissions of inappropriate behaviour, Wares has never expressed remorse. He has described himself as a harmless old man, but child rights organisation Women and Men Against Child Abuse, known as WMACA, has rejected this image, describing him as a repeat offender.
Luke Lamprecht, Head of Advocacy at WMACA, said Wares’ age should not influence perceptions of his actions. “He deliberately and repeatedly preyed on children. His victims are now adults who still live with the trauma he caused. His frailty is physical, but his cruelty was deliberate,” said Lamprecht.
WMACA was established in 1997 as a non-profit organisation that supports child abuse survivors and advocates for stronger protection laws. It runs child protection and counselling initiatives including its Kidz Clinics, which provide therapeutic support for victims of abuse.
For WMACA and the group of survivors, Wares’ extradition arrest marks not an end but a long-awaited beginning. It signifies the removal of the legal and institutional protection that has shielded him for decades.
Survivors in the United Kingdom have accused Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College of failing to alert authorities to complaints against Wares. Their inaction reportedly enabled him to leave the United Kingdom for South Africa in 1979, where he continued teaching until his retirement in 2006.
Miranda Jordan, founding director of WMACA and a veteran child rights activist, has long criticised the delays and leniency in Wares’ legal proceedings. “WMACA fought to bring this case to court, meeting with justice officials and maintaining pressure through the media even when it was unpopular. For seven years, Wares avoided justice with legal tactics and support from unknown benefactors,” said Jordan.
She added that institutions and individuals who enabled Wares to escape accountability share responsibility for the harm suffered by his victims. “Those who protected him, including schools and professionals who turned a blind eye, have blood on their hands. Perpetrators must know they will be pursued. True justice means Wares must face every survivor he harmed, and only his extradition to the United Kingdom will bring closure for victims of one of the worst child abusers in recent history,” Jordan said.
She added that the arrest was made possible through the persistence of survivors who refused to remain silent. “This moment is for those courageous survivors who never gave up and made this arrest possible,” she said.
Stephen, a survivor involved in the Cape Town criminal trial, said he believed justice was now catching up with Wares. “The wheels of justice are finally moving for this man,” he said.
WMACA has urged the Department of Justice and the National Prosecuting Authority to complete the remaining procedures swiftly to ensure that Wares is held accountable in both South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The organisation said justice must not depend on privilege, age, or wealth but must be accessible to those who were violated as children. The arrest brings an end to decades of delay and international pursuit. It comes after more than fifty years of allegations that span two continents and several educational institutions. The case underscores the challenges of cross-border prosecutions in historic child abuse cases and the determination required to achieve justice.
Wares remains free on bail under strict conditions pending his next court appearance. The Simon’s Town Magistrates’ Court will rule on 20 November 2025 whether he will be extradited. If the decision is in favour of extradition, Interpol will facilitate his transfer to Scotland where he will face a 90-count indictment before a Scottish High Court.
Child protection advocates in South Africa and the United Kingdom expressed hope that the proceedings will progress without further delay. They say the outcome will test cooperation between both countries in holding long-term offenders accountable for crimes against children.
