Abuse by Guildhall tutor in 1980s left me in despair, says opera singer

Idit Arad calls for better protection for music students as London college admits failing in its duty of care to her. Exclusive report

- by Vanessa Thorpe

It should have been the start of a great career in classical music for Idit Arad. Everything was lining up for the talented 18-year-old opera singer. She had arrived in London from Israel in 1987, the proud winner of a scholarship to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. But instead of building the foundations of a successful future, she was singled out by a tutor 20 years her senior for a long period of obsessive attention and abuse.

Paul Roberts pursued her from their first lesson, Arad says, inviting her for coffee and then for a dinner to discuss her talent, before sending a stream of explicit letters, calling her a "witch" and urging her into sexual intimacy. Senior leadership, it is now admitted, knew of their involvement and yet failed to discipline Roberts.

More than 30 years on, Arad is speaking of her experience for the first time, after making a complaint to the school about its failings. "I should have felt safe there and free to develop my talent," she says. "Instead, I was picked on by someone in authority, in view of some other staff, who should have had my welfare and the safeguarding of other young students as a priority."

Last month, following a query from the Observer, Guildhall finally apologised to Arad for failing in its duty of care towards her. It has since described Roberts's behaviour as "appalling and completely unacceptable" and has acknowledged its failure to respond adequately. Roberts, a concert pianist, had remained a teacher at the school for another 30 years, but was suspended in 2021, at the outset of an internal inquiry prompted by Arad's recent allegation.