No more residential school cover ups

No more residential school cover ups

Feb 10 2007 Kuper Island residential school survivor Elmer James suffered repeated sexual, physical and emotional abuse as a child at the school. He remembers being given extra treats from the abusers — payment for keeping quiet. You can imagine how a federal gag order preventing him from speaking about his out-of-court settlement with the government must sit. Residential schools are Canada’s greatest shame of the 20th century. They are the greatest shame of the churches that operated them and the governments that sanctioned them. It’s time to stop hiding. The public needs to know how widespread the residential school evils were and what their government is doing to redress them. More importantly, what people like James need most of all is closure. For some, that certainly would be aided by a full accounting of what they went through and an apology from the government and the church. Instead, the government scurries through a series of low-key secret hearings seemingly aimed at taking care of this problem as quickly and quietly as possible. Certainly, not everyone will want to share their experience publicly. But that decision should be theirs to make. After years of hiding his horrific experience, and letting it consume his life, James decided to speak up. In the process, he’s freed his soul, cut the string that tied him to those dark days and brought back his smile. That is an opportunity that should be afforded to anyone and everyone involved.

Child killer becomes a monk

Child killer becomes a monk

Suicidal monk has wrestled with past BY CHRISTOPHER BURBACH WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER The Catholic monk who stepped in front of a train Tuesday in Elkhorn had joined the Benedictine order partly to atone for a dark past: He murdered his 3-year-old daughter in 1976. A westbound train passes over the spot where an eastbound train struck a man early Tuesday morning.Tuesday wasn't the first time that Brother Patrick Harris, 63, of St. Gabriel Benedictine Priory in Des Moines tried to kill himself. He made a suicide attempt more than 30 years ago after murdering his child in Minnesota. About 6 a.m. Tuesday, he stepped in front of an eastbound Union Pacific train near Main Street and Railroad Avenue, near downtown Elkhorn. He lay down before the train hit him but was injured as about a dozen train cars passed over him. Harris, who was bleeding from the head, was flown to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, where he was being treated in the intensive care unit. A hospital spokeswoman said she could not release his condition. Elkhorn police tried to interview Harris, but he said he did not remember the incident, said Tim Dempsey, Elkhorn police chief. A note found in the car that Harris drove to the tracks indicated that he might have been attempting suicide, Dempsey said. Dempsey did not disclose details of the note or discuss whether there was a connection between Tuesday's events and Harris' past. Harris had been in Omaha for a meeting at Elkhorn's Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey, which is separate from the Mount Michael boys high school. Harris is a monk, not a priest, in the Benedictine order. He lives at the St. Gabriel monastery in Des Moines, which is affiliated with the Elkhorn abbey. Benedictine officials in Des Moines and Omaha praised Harris on Tuesday in prepared statements. They said they were aware of his crime. He disclosed it when he joined the order in Des Moines in 1995. He had repented and served his time in prison, and he poses no threat, said the Rev. Aquinas M. Nichols, prior of St. Gabriel's Priory. "He has served selflessly and admirably during the past 10 years with the poor of the area, and in recent years with the Hispanic community of the Basilica Parish (of St. John) as well," Nichols said. "He is loved and respected by all whom he has served. We pray for him and his family." Nichols' statement said "our judicial system and society at large believes once a convicted person has paid his debt to society he is free to begin life again." Harris was known as Dallas D. Harris before he joined the Benedictine order in the mid-1990s. A New Orleans native, he graduated from Drake University in Des Moines and served in the Army during the Vietnam War, according to a biographical article on the St. Gabriel Web site. He studied at the University of Madrid, became fluent in Spanish and taught English in Spain. The St. Gabriel article says Harris moved to Minneapolis in 1976, where he worked for the Billy Graham evangelical crusade. The article mentions neither his marriage in Europe nor the crime that followed. Harris killed his daughter, Maria Vanessa, on Sept. 23, 1976, in Hinckley, Minn. He had lost an international custody battle with his then-wife, Danielle, who lived in Belgium. Faced with an Iowa court order granting child custody to his wife, Harris drove from central Iowa to Hinckley. According to court records, he told a judge in 1977 that he suffocated the child with a pillow and a towel, and then tried to kill himself so they could be in heaven together. Harris survived smashing his car into a bridge abutment after the slaying. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. A Minnesota judge sentenced him in April 1977 to up to 20 years in prison. He served five years and one month in Minnesota prisons before being paroled in May 1982, after receiving a glowing report from a prison caseworker. Among other things, the caseworker wrote: "Mr. Harris is very involved with religion and his religious beliefs are a significant part of his lifestyle. This is not to confuse Mr. Harris' religious beliefs with many of the pathological conversions that are frequently noted in (prisons)." Harris was released from parole in February 1983. He studied for the Lutheran ministry before becoming a Catholic in 1993, according to the St. Gabriel Web site. He entered St. Benedict Monastery in Oxford, Mich., before transferring to Des Moines in 1996 and taking temporary vows in 2001. He took his permanent vows as a monk in 2004 at a Des Moines ceremony led by the Rev. Theodore Wolff of Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey. "He had served his debt to society and had turned his life to Christ," said Bud Synhorst, Mount Michael's executive director of development. "He's never had problems since he has joined the community. They went through their due diligence when they accepted him." Nichols' statement from Des Moines elaborated: "In part, for reparation of what he had done in his past, Brother Patrick decided to do a life of penance and join a monastic community. With the belief in forgiveness from society, our judicial system and our faith, Brother Patrick was allowed to minister under the supervision of, first, the Society of St. John, and then the religious community at St. Gabriel's Priory. He never posed a threat to others, had all of the proper psychological evaluation to confirm this, and there have been no reports of threatening situation involving Brother Patrick." In Omaha, Synhorst said the monastic communities in Des Moines and Omaha "are offering prayers for Brother Patrick Harris and his family as well as the crew and their families from Union Pacific." The train's crew members hit the emergency brakes when they saw Harris, said Sgt. Roy Scott of the Elkhorn Police Department. Scott said the train had been traveling about 30 mph. Harris then lay down on the tracks, Scott said. World-Herald staff writers Michael O'Connor and Judith Nygren and researchers Jeanne Hauser and Michelle Gullett contributed to this report.

OUT RIGHT GOVERNMENT LIE EXPOSSED

OUT RIGHT GOVERNMENT LIE EXPOSSED

Sex offender law loophole exposed A legal loophole enabling sex offenders to avoid providing police with a full address has been revealed. Freed sex offenders, including paedophiles, can provide a location such as "somewhere in the woods" if they are homeless. Sex offenders who are homeless can be vague about their address It emerged after a convicted sex offender went missing after telling police he was living rough in Kent. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "It is a fact of life that not all offenders have a permanent address." However, she added: "Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 those with no fixed abode must give a location where they can regularly be found. "They need to be there and checks will be carried out by the police. "If you breach the conditions of the sex offenders' register you will be prosecuted." An address is needed in order to make regular checks that a person will not re-offend, as well as to make immediate checks in the event of a crime being committed. For example, police officers can carry out checks on the homes of known offenders if a child is missing and believed to have been abducted. The loophole is believed to have existed since the register was established in 2001, although it has never been made public. The sex offender who went missing after saying he would be living rough in Kent was eventually tracked down in Devon and taken to court, where he received a conditional discharge.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6102942.stm

Catholic order apologises publicly for abuse

Catholic order apologises publicly for abuse

Monday, March 30, 1998 Published at 02:11 GMT 03:11 UK World: EuropeCatholic order apologises publicly for abuseThe Brothers, as they are known in Ireland, were founded in 1802An influential Irish Roman Catholic religious order involved in teaching generations of youngsters has issued an unprecedented high-profile public apology for sexual and other abuse inflicted over years in its institutions. The congregation of the Christian Brothers in Ireland has taken out half-page advertisements in Irish newspapers admitting that some victims' complaints have been ignored. The admission follows a number of prosecutions initiated against members of the order, other Irish religious societies and Catholic clergy in recent years over sex and other crimes, often dating back decades. The Christian Brothers have traditionally been associated with boys' schools in Ireland, for many years playing a central role in the country's education system. At one stage the order ran more than 100 schools and eight orphanages. The apology refers to harsh punishment dealt out to pupils and to sexual abuse. Telephone helplines Well-established institution It listed telephone numbers on both sides of the Irish border to provide help on a confidential basis for any pupils who experienced ill-treatment or abuse at the hands of its members. According to reports, the apology was decided by leaders with only a minority of the 500 serving Christian Brothers indicating concern or opposition. "In a way we are putting our hands up and saying this happened. It is painful for all of us, that cannot be denied. But we believe it is worthwhile,"a spokesman at the order's Dublin headquarters is quoted as saying. "The objective of bringing about reconciliation and healing is worth the price we have to pay. "We are trying to create an environment where healing and reconciliation can take place and where people who have been hurt can be helped to leave that hurt behind them. "We want to acknowledge the fact that people have been hurt, listen to what they have to say and try to respond." As well as Ireland, the order is also active in other countries. According to reports, in Newfoundland, Canada, nine of the lay brothers were convicted of abuse-related crimes at an orphanage. The order's founder, Irishman Edmund Rice, was declared "blessed" by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

Survivor 3 Mrs W

Survivor 3 Mrs W

was resident in Nazareth House, Cardonald, between 1961, when she was seven or eight years old, and 1969, when she was 16 years old. Her date of birth is 25 November 1953. Consequently she attained majority on 25 November 1971, and the three-year limitation period expired on 25 November 1974, 25 years before her action began. Mrs W was resident in Nazareth House, Cardonald, from 1961 to 1969. She was aged seven or eight when she first went to live there. Her younger sister went with her, but Mrs W avers that contact between the sisters was not encouraged by the nuns in charge of them. She avers that she was part of what was known as the red group; the nun in charge of that group was Sister E. When Mrs W was aged about ten or eleven, Sister E was replaced by Sister J M who was assisted by a girl called I M. Mrs W avers that she was taken to Nazareth House by a social worker and immediately afterwards met Sister E. Sister E grabbed the pursuer's hair by her fringe and roughly fixed a grip into her hair, in such a way that her head bled. She told Mrs W that she was filthy, that she was covered in nits and lice, and that she stank. She sent Mrs W to be bathed and deloused by an older girl. Thereafter, Mrs W avers, she was regularly assaulted by a number of nuns. Sister E assaulted her daily, hitting her with whatever implements were available. On one occasion a hairbrush was used, which broke in consequence of the blow. Mrs W was also hit on the back with wire coat hangers and canes. Canes were used on Mrs W's hands, shoulders and back. On one occasion Sister E nipped and twisted Mrs W's flesh. She hit Mrs W with a wet cloth on one occasion because Mrs W had allowed the cloth to fall on her bed. Sister E also slapped Mrs W's face, pulled her hair and pulled her ears, on occasion causing bruising. Some of the assaults were in front of other children. She had knocked together the heads of the pursuer and another girl called B N. Mrs W was also caned by a nun called Sister N. Sometimes she was punished by being made to wait for two or three hours outside Sister N's cell, waiting for punishment. Mrs W was also occasionally assaulted by Sister M, who on one occasion pulled the pursuer by her hair and swung her round off the floor. Sister M on one occasion encouraged a group of children to jump on Mrs W, kicking her and pulling her hair. Other assaults are averred. Apart from regular assaults, Mrs W makes complaints about a number of other aspects of life in Nazareth House. These included punishment for bedwetting and for visiting the lavatory during the night. Mrs W was forced to eat food that she disliked, including cabbage, and if she were sick she was made to eat that too. On occasion she was told that she was going to a party but was then prevented from doing so. She was compelled to attend school even when she felt unwell, and on one occasion received very unpleasant medical treatment for a problem with her ear. The nuns also made derogatory remarks about Mrs W's mother and grandmother. It is fair to say that Mrs W's complaints about life in Nazareth House are wide-ranging, and apply to many aspects of her life in the institution. She avers that she was unable to complain about her treatment. On two occasions she complained to Sister N about Sister E's actions, but Sister N told her that she was a liar and a troublemaker, and caned her. Mrs W avers that the nuns did not allow her mother to visit her, and that her father visited her on about four occasions. Social workers visited her on two occasions, but nuns were present throughout the visits. On the basis of the allegations of fact summarized above, Mrs W avers that throughout her time at Nazareth House she was subjected to a brutal, violent and cruel régime by the nuns working there. She was subjected to degrading and inhumane methods of punishment; she was ill-treated by the nuns; and the standard and quality of care provided for her welfare were poor. Such treatment was systematic and regular, continuing throughout the entire period of Mrs W's residence at Nazareth House. As a result it is said that she suffered loss, injury and damage. The individual nuns were acting in pursuance of the operation of Nazareth House as a residential children's home, and were doing so under the control of the defenders. Consequently it is said that the defenders were responsible for the nuns' acts. It is further averred that the defenders failed in their duty to take reasonable care for the health, safety and welfare of the children residing at Nazareth House, including Mrs W. The particular duties of care cover both inadequate supervision of individual nuns and the general running of the premises. In addition, a statutory case is pled based on the Administration of Children's Homes (Scotland) Regulations 1959. In this connection, it is averred that the defenders did not make adequate arrangements for the well-being of the children resident in Nazareth House, administered punishment in a manner inconsistent with the Regulations, and failed to keep adequate records as required by the Regulations. Mrs W said that she suffered trauma and psychological damage as a result of her treatment. In 1998 she was diagnosed as suffering from severe depression and anxiety. It is said that her symptoms are comparable to those experienced by persons suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I comment on this matter in detail in the part of this opinion dealing with psychological and psychiatric evidence, but only for the purpose of assessing the explanations advanced for the survivor's failure to make claims at an earlier date; what I say there should not be taken as affecting the substance of the survivor's claims, which I am obliged to assume are well-founded. Mrs W further said that she has suffered from insomnia, has low self-esteem, has been involved in abusive relationships and has had difficulty forming relationships. She is socially isolated and has a poor quality of life. It is further said that she did not have the self-confidence to proceed to further education, although she was intellectually capable of doing so. Consequently she has been employed in less rewarding jobs and has been unemployed.

Survivor 2 Mr M

Survivor 2 Mr M

was resident in the same home between 1975, when he was six years old, and 1978, when he was nine years old. He was born on 9 January 1969 and attained majority on 9 January 1987; the basic three-year limitation period therefore expired on 9 January 1990, 10 years before his action was raised. D M Mr M was resident at Nazareth House, Cardonald, from about 1975, when he was six years old, until about 1978, when he was nine years old. Thereafter he was sent to another home at Smyllum Park, Lanark, run by another order of nuns. Two of his brothers were resident in Nazareth House at the same time. The nuns responsible for his care were Sister D and Sister J S. Mr M avers that he and the other children were assaulted regularly for no reason. Sister D assaulted him approximately twice a day every day, using implements that included a hockey stick and a garden cane. She assaulted him on all areas of his body, but particularly his head. On one occasion Mr M ran away, but was found by the police in Greenock. He told the police that he had been assaulted by the nuns but they did not believe him and they returned him to Nazareth House. As a punishment he was made to stand naked all night in a corridor. Children including Mr M were regularly assaulted at mealtimes by Sister D. It is averred that Mr M was punished for bedwetting. Sister J S also punished him. On one occasion he saw her hit his brother R on the head with a hockey stick, rendering him unconscious. Mr M and his other brother were made to clean up the blood, and were terrified. In addition to the allegations of assault by the nuns, Mr M avers that he was punished by a violin teacher, who rapped his knuckles on Mr M's head if he made mistakes. He claims that he was punished by the nuns when an attempt to have him fostered did not work and he was sent back to the home. He was made to eat carbolic soap as a punishment for lying, and became terrified of dying because of remarks that the nuns made to him. Mr M's father died when he was in Nazareth House, but he was not allowed to attend the funeral. The nuns told him that his father was a "drunk", and said that he should not want to go to the funeral. Mr M became very upset as a result. He avers that he frequently tried to run away and was assaulted for doing so. When he was taken on bus trips his socks and shoes were removed and he was made to sit on the floor in an attempt to prevent him from trying to run away. Mr M also makes complaints about the very structured régime in Nazareth House and the poor quality of the food there. On the basis of the foregoing averments of fact, Mr M alleges that the defenders failed in their duty to take care for the safety and welfare of the children resident in Nazareth House, including him. He also alleges breach of duties not to assault children and not to sanction or use excessive, cruel and unusual punishments. Further breaches of duty are averred in relation to the inadequate supervision of the home. Generally speaking, these averments are very similar to those made on behalf of Mrs B. As a result of the breaches of duty, it is said that Mr M suffered loss, injury and damage. An alternative statutory case is pled, based on the Children's Homes (Scotland) Regulations 1959; this is similar to the statutory case made by Mrs W. Mr M said that he was humiliated by things that the nuns at Nazareth House said to him, and was distressed at not knowing where his father was buried. He has been prescribed anti-depressant medication since 1997. He was referred for psychological intervention in 1997 but did not continue with the treatment. He said that he currently suffers from moderate to severe anxiety and severe depression. It is also said that he experiences intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviour associated with PTSD. In addition, he is said to exhibit obsessive compulsive symptoms to a high level. It is said that he has attempted suicide and has suffered from nightmares, during which he attempted to jump out of the window. It is said that he was unable to form relationships with women, and found it difficult to trust the partner with whom he lived for a number of years. His quality of life is extremely poor. It is further said that his relationship with his own children has been severely affected by his treatment in Nazareth House. A reference is made at this point to sexual abuse, but the statements of fact do not contain any such allegation. It is further said that Mr M had a number of criminal convictions and had been sentenced to periods of imprisonment. He had also abused alcohol On the basis of the foregoing statements of fact, Mr M alleges that the defenders failed in their duty to take care for the safety and welfare of the children resident in Nazareth House, including him. He also alleges breach of duties not to assault children and not to sanction or use excessive, cruel and unusual punishments. Further breaches of duty are said in relation to the inadequate supervision of the home. Generally speaking, these statements are very similar to those made on behalf of Mrs B. As a result of the breaches of duty, it is said that Mr M suffered loss, injury and damage. An alternative statutory case is pled, based on the Children's Homes (Scotland) Regulations 1959; this is similar to the statutory case made by Mrs W.

Survivor 1 Mrs B

Survivor 1 Mrs B

was resident in the second defenders' home at Nazareth House, Cardonald, between 1966, when she was three years old, and 1979, when she was 16 years old. Her date of birth is 6 January 1963; consequently she attained majority on 6 January 1981, and the basic three-year limitation period laid down in section 17 accordingly expired on 6 January 1984, some 16 years before her action was raised. Mrs A B Mrs B was a resident at Nazareth House, Cardonald, from about 1966, when she was three years old, to about 1979, when she was sixteen. Initially she was in the nursery section , but subsequently she was placed in the green group, along with her two older sisters; the girls were separated from their brother. During her time in Nazareth House Mrs B was under the charge of a series of nuns, namely Sister Do, Sister Ca, Sister Cu, Sister J, Sister J S and Sister B. A carer named M K was also responsible for her for much of her childhood. Mrs B avers that children in Nazareth House, including her, were regularly subjected to assaults and cruel punishments. The assaults regularly had no reason. Details are given of a number of assaults on Mrs B. These relate particularly to Sister Ca, who had a club foot and placed that on children to prevent them from escaping while she assaulted them. Sister Ca also punished Mrs B by making her kneel on tiles with her arms above her head or with her arms stretched out in front of her, and force fed her. Force feeding continued after a child had vomited, and was sometimes followed by assaults in full view of everyone in the dining hall. Mrs B avers that she was subjected to that treatment on several occasions. Sister Ca also punished her by putting carbolic soap in her mouth. Particulars are given of a number of specific assaults on the pursuer by Sister Cu, Sister J S and Sister B. The assaults are averred to have included kicking and punching. On one occasion Mrs B avers that she was knocked unconscious when Sister B pushed her against a wall; when she recovered consciousness Sister B was on top of her, battering her head against the floor. In addition to the averments relating to repeated assaults, Mrs B avers that she and other children in Nazareth House were regularly punished for bedwetting. She also makes allegations about poor food and poor personal care. On the basis of those averments of fact, she states that the defenders failed in their duty to take adequate care for the safety and welfare of the children resident in Nazareth House, including her. She alleges breach of the defenders' duties not to assault children and not to sanction or use excessive, cruel and unusual punishments. She also alleges a series of failures in the defenders' supervision of Nazareth House. In this connection various particular duties are averred; these include caring for and nurturing the children in the home, serving adequate food, providing adequate personal care, taking reasonable care to see that children were not humiliated and ridiculed, and encouraging family relationships where possible. As a result of those breaches of duty it is said that Mrs B suffered loss, injury and damage. An alternative statutory case is made under the Children's Homes (Scotland) Regulations 1959. This is broadly similar to be case made by Mrs W. Mrs B said that she felt humiliated and degraded as a result of her treatment in Nazareth House, and experienced fear and distress when she witnessed assaults on other children. She said that she has no confidence in herself, and suffered psychologically for many years. It is said that she has suffered intrusive thoughts about her experiences and has made conscious attempts to avoid such thoughts. As in the case of Mrs W, it is said that Mrs B's symptoms are similar to PTSD symptoms, and fulfil the criteria for PTSD. She said that she has suffered from bulimia and had a breakdown in 1996. She has been prescribed Prozac and Valium. She does not feel safe outside her home, and has difficulty functioning in any area of life outwith her home. Her estranged husband and children have to go to the shops for her, and she has a very poor quality of life. She has had difficulties in forming relationships, and has separated from her husband. She has difficulty in relating to her children. She suffers from anxiety, in particular that she may wet the bed, and that causes her practical difficulties. She said that she has difficulty sleeping and concentrating. She was intellectually able to undertake further education, but instead had only been employed as a machinist, cleaner and meat packer.

STOP THE PAIN & HEARTACHE FOR OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE OUR ADULT'S OF TOMORROW OF OUR COUNTRIES

BACKGROUND OF THE SURVIVORS STORIES

BACKGROUND OF THE SURVIVORS STORIES

The survivor's in each of these three actions were at one time residents of a children's home run by the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, an order of nuns who are the second defenders in each case; the first defender is the Religious Superior of the order The Poor Sisters of Nazareth . In each case damages are claimed on the basis that the survivor suffered physical abuse during the time when he or she was under the charge of the second defenders; in each case individual nuns are said to have been directly responsible for the abuse. The three actions were raised in May 2000. Approximately 290 other actions were raised at the same time on similar grounds against the same defenders The Poor Sisters of Nazareth . I was informed that a large number of other broadly similar actions have been raised against other bodies that ran children's homes between the 1950s and the 1980s; these include Quarrier's Homes, Barnardo's and the De La Salle Brothers. The initial difficultly that confronts each of the survivor's is that the limitation period specified in section 17 of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 has expired. IN OTHER WORDS KNOWN AS TIME BARRED OK BECAUSE THE CASE WAS NOT MADE WITHIN THE 3 YEAR TIME LIMIT PERIOD HOW BLOODY DISGUSTING AND APPALLING IMO JUST AWFUL FOR SURE GRRRRRRRR:(!!!!!!! WHY DO YOU NOT ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR VICTIMS/SURVIVORS OF ANY FORM OF ABUSE IT TAKES YEARS UPON YEARS FOR MOST OF US TO SPEK UP ABOUT THE HELL WE ENDURED IN MY OPINION THERE SHOULD NEVER EVER BE ANY STAUTE OF LIMITAIONS ON ABUSE PERIOD AND ABOVE IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND REASONS WHY THERE SHOULD NEVER BE. CAN'T YOU SEE BY PLACING THESE STATUE OF LIMITAIONS FOR ABUSE WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS TIME AFTER TIME LETTING THE ABUSERS OFF SCOTT FREE FOR THEIR HENIOUS CRIMES AGAINST THE MANY OF US IN THIS WORLD AND THESE SADISTIC ABUSERS USE THIS RULING TO AVOID FACING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR SADISTIC ACTIONS UPON US ALL. MARIA

I ASK YOU IS THE ABOVE JUSTICE????

AGAIN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS SO BADLY WRONG IMO :(

LORD YOUNG REFUSES ACTIONS IN TEST CASE

LORD YOUNG REFUSES ACTIONS IN TEST CASE

MORE INJUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS FROM NAZARETH HOUSE SCOTLAND IN MY OPINION..... LORD YOUNG REFUSES ACTIONS IN TEST CASE WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE 9TH FEBRUARY 2005..... SO YET ANOTHER ROADBLOCK FOR US ALL...Grrrrrrr I HAVE ALWAYS SAID FROM DAY ONE AND REITERATE IT HERE ONCE AGAIN I DO NOT WANT OR AM I LOOKING FOR COMPENSATION AS TO ME IF OFFERED IT WOULD BE TAINTED MONEY IN MY OPINION BUT WHAT I DO WANT IS JUSTICE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT ABUSE DID HAPPEN WITHIN NAZARETH HOUSE HOMES ALL ACROSS THE WORLD FAIR AND SQUARE AND I MOST DEFINATELY DO WANT AN APOLOGY BOTH PERSONAL AND PUBLIC FOR ME FROM THE NAZARETH HOUSE ORDER OF NUNS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH This full judgment is very very lengthy OK................ LORD YOUNG REFUSES ACTIONS IN TEST CASE Latest judgment in test cases goes against pursuers. Full Judgment is HERE

Judge rejects care home abuse claims from The Scotman Newspaper

Judge rejects care home abuse claims from The Scotman Newspaper

JOHN ROBERTSON AND JIM MCBETH ALLEGED victims of historical abuse in children's homes criticised a judge yesterday for throwing out three test cases because he did not want to prejudice the good works of an order of nuns. Lord Drummond Young's decision, in the Court of Session, effectively kills off up to 600 similar actions by alleged victims. The judge ruled that three £50,000 claims by two women and one man, which had been raised many years beyond normal legal time limits, should not get special dispensation to continue. He said he would not allow the claims by former residents of Glasgow's Nazareth House to proceed, given the "very substantial" period which had elapsed since the alleged abuse. The claimants alleged they were brutally treated as children, but Lord Drummond Young said times had changed and the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, who once ran Nazareth House homes in Glasgow and Aberdeen, now operated facilities for the elderly and AIDS sufferers. "It does not appear to me to be fair that their current activities should be prejudiced because of acts carried out [up to] 40 years ago by individuals who are dead or no longer active," he said. Lord Drummond Young's ruling provoked angry reaction from alleged victims who are bringing actions against not only Nazareth House, but also organisations such as Quarriers, Barnardo's and another religious order, the De La Salle Brothers. Lizzie McWilliams, 67, from Glasgow, who claims she was sexually and physically abused in Quarriers, Renfrewshire, said: "His lordship should walk a mile in my shoes if he thinks the scars of the past can be healed. "The abuse I suffered destroyed my life. His decision may now make it impossible for me to prove my abusers' guilt." Chris Daly, 40, also from Glasgow, another alleged victim of Nazareth House, added: "I am very disappointed. It is all very well for nuns to move on, but we cannot." Mr Daly, who claims he was beaten, made to stand outside in freezing conditions wearing only underpants and locked in a room with a corpse, added: "You cannot go into the future without resolving the past." Lawyers acting for the claimants said they would appeal. Cameron Fyfe, who has 300 cases involving Nazareth House, said: "Many other cases depend on appealing this judgment. The victims want closure, the guilt established, and not just money." Mr Fyfe conceded that if the judgment is not overturned, it will kill off between 500 and 600 actions. Frank Docherty, of In Care Abuse Survivors, which represents many alleged victims, said: "The fight will go on. "This is ludicrous. What about 'prejudicing' the victims? How many more must we lose to alcohol and depression because of the abuse they suffered?" The test cases centred on Nazareth House, in Glasgow, which was once run by the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth. Two women, A and J, and the man, D, alleged a "brutal, violent and cruel regime". They said they were injured by assaults which caused them long-term psychological harm to relationships and employment. A, 42, was at Nazareth House from the age of three to 16. She claims she was beaten and force- fed carbolic soap. During eight years in the home, J, 51, said she was struck with implements such as a hairbrush, coat hanger and canes. D, 36, said during his three years there he was regularly assaulted. They raised actions in 2000, but, in law, the cases should have been brought before they were 21. However, a court can allow time-barred cases to proceed if it is deemed "equitable". But Lord Drummond Young added yesterday: "It was clear the raising of these actions has caused considerable distress to all three. I cannot think it is in their interests to rake over those memories. "I will exercise my discretion in favour of [the Poor Sisters] and refuse to allow the pursuers to bring the present actions."

Blaze man was victim of abuse at Catholic homes, say family

Frank Urquhart and John Ross

THE controversy over allegations of systematic child abuse at Catholic-run children’s homes in Scotland erupted again yesterday, hours before the Most Rev Mario Conti was installed as the Archbishop of Glasgow and leader of Scotland’s Catholic community. The devastated family of a dying man, who set himself ablaze after being refused treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeen, claimed their brother’s disturbed life was a legacy of the abuse he suffered at a children’s home in the city which was run by nuns, and at the hands of monks at another care home in Glasgow. They are now calling for a public inquiry into why the care system in Scotland has done nothing to help him. Colin Sutherland, 43, who has a history of psychiatric problems, was clinging to life in a specialist burns unit at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary last night after he doused his body with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire before patients and staff at a medical practice in Aberdeen on Wednesday morning. His family claimed yesterday that the bizarre act was a cry for help after Mr Sutherland had been refused treatment, despite repeated appeals, at the Royal Cornhill Hospital, the north-east’s main psychiatric unit. One of his sisters, Magdalene Crocker, said her brother’s illness, manifested in years of depression, could be traced to the sexual and physical abuse he allegedly suffered at the Nazareth House children’s home in Aberdeen and the St Ninian’s Home in Glasgow. Two years ago, Mrs Crocker was one of the main prosecution witnesses at the trial of Sister Alphonso, the Catholic nun convicted of four charges of abusing young girls in her care at Nazareth House and another children’s home in Lasswade. Archbishop Conti, who was then Bishop of Aberdeen, was criticised for the remarks he made at the conclusion of the trial , claiming: "Some practices which today seem excessive and even cruel, would not have been viewed in this light years ago". Earlier this month, he sparked further controversy when he argued Sister Alphonso’s conviction had been a miscarriage of justice. He said: "I think she was treated harshly. Some of the allegations were shocking and some were so absurd as to be unbelievable." Mrs Crocker, however, said last night that she was convinced her brother’s illness stemmed from the abuse he suffered during the eight years he spent in care as a child. "Colin had his own story to tell," she said. "What happened haunted him and led to the mental problems he had. It all stemmed from the abuse he suffered." Mrs Crocker claimed: "He was sexually and physically abused by a male care worker at Nazareth House, and abused again when he was transferred to the monks at St Ninian’s in Glasgow." She explained that her brother had been in and out of institutions for long periods of his adult life and had also had spent various spells in prison. As his mental health deteriorated, his behaviour had become more erratic. His state of depression had become more acute after his mother died at New Year. On his way home from his mother’s funeral, he jumped out of his brother’s car on a busy motorway and threw himself into the path of the oncoming traffic. "He was struggling to cope," said Mrs Crocker. "He was completely broken. "Over a week ago he referred himself to Cornhill and that is where it all went wrong. He asked for help and he really tried hard, but apparently there was some trouble in which he was involved and he was discharged. " Cornhill told me that Colin didn’t really fit the criteria under the Mental Health Act and that he had a personality disorder. Colin then ended up in police custody, doped up to the eyeballs, but was sent back out after they dropped the charges." Mrs Crocker added: "What he did this week was a cry for help. He obviously saw no way to turn but the people at Cornhill had him their in their hands and they had the power to keep him. They could have treated him but he didn’t even last a week. They just threw him out. But they must have known he was a risk to himself and the public. The whole system has let him down and the family want a public inquiry into why that happened." Mr Sutherland’s brother, John, a painter and decorator in Inverness, said: "Colin wanted to be locked up in a secure place and treated because he knew he could be a risk. The system had let him down - he just couldn’t cope." Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust, which operates Royal Cornhill, is to bring in independent experts to review their handling of Mr Sutherland's case and to send a report to the Mental Welfare Commission. CRUELTY EXPOSED: SISTER ALPHONSO’S CRIMES DENTED IMAGE OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH THE image of a Roman Catholic nun as a caring bride of Christ was blown apart two years ago with the conviction of Sister Alphonso for abusing four children in her care during a 15-year reign of terror at two Catholic-run children’s homes in Scotland. She was exposed as an evil sadist who used her position to abuse, brutalise and humiliate countless children whose lives she controlled at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Lasswade. Sister Alphonso was accused of forcing girls to kiss a dead nun, making them wear soiled underwear and pushing an epileptic girl into a cold bath when she was having a fit. Her trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in September, 2000, also heard allegations that the nun had force-fed a child with her own vomit, slapped a child on the face, struck another on the head with a book and forced a soapy finger and spoonfuls of food into the mouths of terrified children. Two of her accusers were Colin Sutherland’s sisters, Magdalene Crocker and Catherine Annaaomaoui, but Sister Alphonso was formally acquitted of the charges in which they featured. The nun, a member of the Order of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, had been charged under her real name, Marie Theresa Docherty. Sister Alphonso, who had originally faced 23 charges , was convicted by majority verdicts on four charges of cruelly and unnaturally treating girls in her care to their injury. Three other charges were found not proven and she was acquitted of the other 16 charges on the direction of Sheriff Colin Harris. The nun, however, escaped with an admonishment by Sheriff Harris, who caused a public outcry when he ruled that she should not go to prison because of the state of her health, her lack of previous convictions and the length of time which had passed since the crimes, which had been committed between 1965 and 1980. During the trial, one of Sister Alphonso’s alleged victims told of her anger when she approached the Rt Rev Mario Conti, who was at that time the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, asking for his help. She claimed the man since chosen to be new leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland had told her: "We are an autonomous organisation and we are accountable to nobody." At the conclusion of the trial, Bishop Conti issued a statement claiming the prosecution had failed to establish that Sister Alphonso had been guilty of systematic child abuse. The bishop said: " Some practices which today seem excessive and even cruel, would not have been viewed in this light years ago. "These convictions do not, moreover, invalidate the great good which was done by the Sisters of Nazareth, including Sister Marie [Alphonso], in caring competently and appropriately for many thousands of children over the last 100 years." The same day, Father Danny McLaughlin, an official spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, issued a statement in which he spoke of the Church’s deep shame at Sister Alphonso’s conviction. He said: "While legally this case is a matter for the Sisters of Nazareth, as a Church we are deeply ashamed that anyone entering into the Church’s care could have suffered in any way. "Our primary concern is the protection of children, and over recent years we have put in place child protection guidelines to ensure any child in our care will not be harmed in any way."

Nun convicted of cruelty

Nun convicted of cruelty

A nun has been found guilty of four charges of cruelty against young girls at childrens' homes in Scotland. A jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court found Sister Marie Docherty guilty after retiring on Monday and reconvening on Tuesday morning to consider its verdict. She was convicted by a majority of the 15 jurors, who decided that three other charges of cruel and unnatural treatment were not proven. Sister Marie, also known as Sister Alphonso, had denied all 23 charges relating to the treatment of girls at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian between 1965 and 1980. Sheriff Colin Harris deferred sentence until 28 September to allow medical reports to be prepared. The sheriff told the jurors that he would excuse them from jury service for life. "In view of the length of this trial and the publicity it has generated I will excuse each and every one of you from jury duty for the rest of your lives," he said. Other members of the nun's order, the Roman Catholic Congregation of Sisters of Nazareth, who had been in court throughout the trial, cried as the sheriff spoke. One nun in the court's public gallery wept quietly and clutched rosary beads as the verdict was delivered. Docherty had collapsed earlier in the hearing and was found to be suffering from a heart condition after being examined at a private hospital, but had insisted the trial should continue. Compensation claims The solicitor for many of the former residents involved in the case welcomed the verdicts and warned that the Sisters of Nazareth faced compensation claims totalling several million pounds. Cameron Fyfe said 11 of his clients would now proceed with test cases against the order. If these succeeded, he said he would seek a settlement for more than 400 other clients who claim they suffered during their times at Nazareth House homes. A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland said it was unable to comment specifically on the case. He said one of the church's priorities was the protection of children and guidelines were in place that were designed to ensure their safety. On Monday, Sheriff Harris instructed the jury to find Sister Marie not guilty of 14 of the charges. Two other charges had been dropped during the 26-day trial. The nun, wearing a blue habit, sat with her head bowed as the courtroom heard the verdict. She was found guilty of cruel and unnatural treatment of Patricia O'Brien, who was struck against a radiator and punched and slapped repeatedly. She was also found guilty of the same charge relating to Helen Cusiter, who was force-fed and hit with a hair brush. Soiled underwear A charge of cruel and unnatural treatment of Jeanette Adams, who was also hit with a hair brush and force-fed, was also upheld by the jury. And Docherty was found guilty of the same charge against Grace Montgomery, who was force-fed sweets and had soiled underwear thrown at her. Sheriff Harris had told the jury of nine women and six men to put to one side their own prejudices and consider the case impartially. And he urged them to take into account the fact that some of the women who alleged that they suffered cruelty at the hands of the nun may claim compensation. "It is a factor you are entitled to weigh in the balance," he said.

£60,000 for victims who suffered at the hands of nuns

£60,000 for victims who suffered at the hands of nuns

MICHAEL HOWIEVICTIMS of abuse by nuns at Catholic children's homes in Scotland have been awarded state compensation totalling more than £60,000. The awards have been made to 18 former residents at orphanages run by the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and are likely to open the floodgates for criminal-injuries payments to scores of others. The victims come from all over Scotland and suffered a catalogue of abuse in the homes during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. About 100 people who attended the homes have applied to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for payouts. Further payouts are now expected to the remaining claimants over the next few months. The decision to award money to the first applicants - who have received between £1,000 and £7,500 - is a major boost in a wider legal campaign for justice led by the former residents, who have taken the Roman Catholic order to the Court of Session to seek damages and an acknowledgment of guilt. The campaign suffered a major setback when the court ruled that the alleged abuse took place too long ago. But that "time bar" ruling has been appealed and will be reviewed by judges in January. One of those who was yesterday told she would receive compensation, Adeline Spence, 43, from Glasgow, said she was pleased with the award, but would not be happy until the Catholic Church admitted the abuse. "I'm really pleased that the criminal- injuries board has, at long last, acknowledged that we are victims. "The Catholic Church has admitted guilt in America, Australia, Canada and Ireland. It's like Scotland doesn't exist - they won't admit their guilt to us." Ms Spence, who was sent to the Glasgow home in 1966 when she was three, described the abuse she suffered at the hands of nuns as "horrific". She said: "It wasn't until I left that I realised you didn't beat people up, that you weren't forced to eat your own vomit, that your nails were not cut so close to the quick that your fingers bled. "If you wet the bed they would make you wear the wet sheet round your body and your wet pants on your head. After a while that stopped, but they made you jump into a cold bath every morning." She said the behaviour of the nuns had left her with deep emotional scars. "When you are subjected to these things you become very subservient and let people tread all over you. "It was only after I left when I was 16 that I realised that these things were not normal. It was the only life I knew." Ms Spence said that she would ultimately like to see criminal charges pressed against her abusers. So far only one member of the order, Sister Marie Docherty, has been convicted of abuse against children in Scotland. In 2000, Sister Marie, also known as Sister Alphonso, was found guilty of four charges of cruelty against young girls at Nazareth House children's homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian. She walked free from court after the sheriff delivered an admonishment. The victims' lawyer, Cameron Fyfe, said he hoped the CICA ruling would pave the way for the appeal judges to reopen the case. He explained that the CICA adhered to "time bar" rules which were more strict than those applied by the Court of Session, but that the body chose to use its discretion and hoped judges would follow suite and find in his clients' favour. The clients have never asked how much they were going to get. "What really boosted them was the acceptance from a government authority, for the first time, that they were abused. They thought that no-one believed them. People would ask, 'How could a nun do these things?' So this is a massive boost to them," he said. The order is being defended by lawyers from the Edinburgh firm Simpson & Marwick. No-one there could be contacted for comment last night. Two years ago the First Minister, Jack McConnell, issued a public apology to children abused while in Catholic Church homes. In a formal statement to the Scottish Parliament, he made a "sincere and full apology on behalf of the people of Scotland" to those who had suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse while in residential care. The Church has previously insisted that it has already apologised for the hurt caused to children in its care, and accused the Executive of "playing catch-up".

Excerpt from Home Affairs Editor Neil Mackay ~ lawyer ~

Excerpt from Home Affairs Editor Neil Mackay ~ lawyer ~

MORE than 1000 victims of institutionalisedabuse in Scottish children’s homes run bychurches and charities have accused theScottish Executive and the First Ministerof insulting and betraying them by refusing to set up a public inquiry into the ill-treatmentand sexual assaults they suffered whilein care.Abuse victims petitioned the Executiveasking for Scotland to tackle the legacyof abuse in residential care by priests,nuns and charity staff over recent decadesby setting up a public inquiry similar to onesrecently established in Ireland and Australia.In Ireland, the government apologised tosurvivors and set about making financialpayments to all victims.However, Peter Peacock, the minister foreducation and young people, has refusedto set up any inquiry, saying that he doesn’tbelieve it would “meet the needs of survivorsor be in the public interest”.

Maria's Petition For An Apology For Former Nazareth House Children Who Were Abused

HELLO FRIENDS:)

I just wanted to let you all know I have just set up a petition for an apology both from the catholic church and nazareth house to the former children who were abuses whilst in their care the details are below for anyone who would like to support me in my campaign for an apology I would be very grateful indeed and I thank you in advance anyone who does sign my petition I also plan to have the petition on my websites and also my Maria's blog My petition is not just UK based but Internationally Maria's Petition For An Apology For Former Nazareth House Children Who Were Abused » Sign this petition» Discussion Forum for this petition» View signatures

THE PETITION MANY CHILDREN OVER DECADES ALLEGEDLY SUFFERED ABUSE WHILE IN CARE AT NAZARETH HOUSE ORPHANAGES AROUND THE WORLD. VICTIMS/SURVIVORS NEED AND WANT AN APOLOGY FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND NAZARETH HOUSE FOR THEIR SUFFERING. DESIRED OUTCOME THAT ALL VICTIMS/SURVIVORS OF NAZARETH HOUSE RECEIVE AN APOLOGY FOR their ABUSE WHO WE NEED TO INFLUENCE THE GOVERNMENTS, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, NAZARETH HOUSE HOW LONG WILL WE CAMPAIGN 2009

http://members.tripod.com/maria_501/

http://mariaehart.blogspot.com/index.html

http://groups.msn.com/MariasSurvivorsVictimsChildAbuseGroup/_whatsnew.msnw

» Sign this petition

UK Nun charged with child abuse

Sister Alphonso faces 23 charges of cruelty

A nun has appeared in court charged with child abuse at children's homes run by the Catholic Church. Sister Alphonso - alias 57-year-old Marie Docherty - is accused of cruelty against 23 girls between 1962 and 1980. The charges, presented at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, allege child abuse at Nazareth House bases in Aberdeen and Midlothian. It has been alleged that the children, aged between two and 17, were subjected to cruel and unnatural treatment. Sister Alphonso denies the 23 alllegations on indictment, including beating girls with hairbrushes, toys and cutlery, dragging them by the hair, and force-feeding them, all causing injury. Case postponed Sheriff Alexander Pollock granted a defence motion to postpone the case until later this year. The Poor Sisters of Nazareth ran children's homes in Glasgow and Lanarkshire as well as in Aberdeen and Midlothian. The Aberdeen Nazareth base, which is given as Sister Alphonso's address, was founded in 1872 and at one time housed more than 300 children. It became an old people's home in 1982, caring mainly for elderly women.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/313289.stm

Court date for 'abuse charge' nun

The case will be heard at Aberdeen Sheriff Court

A nun who has been charged with child abuse at children's homes run by the Catholic Church in Scotland is due to face trial on Monday. Sister Alphonso - alias 57-year-old Marie Docherty - has been accused of cruelty against 23 girls between 1962 and 1980. It is alleged the abuse was carried out at Nazareth House bases in Aberdeen and Midlothian. The accused denies the charges, which include beating girls with hairbrushes, toys and cutlery, dragging them by the hair and force-feeding them, all causing injury. A sheriff last month rejected claims that the case had been unreasonably delayed. Sister Alphonso's defence agent claimed at an earlier court hearing that the indictment was "incompetent". 'Unreasonable delay' Jim Hay argued that the Crown had been responsible for an unreasonable delay in bringing the case to trial, since it was nearly three years since the charges had been brought. This was rejected by Sheriff Colin Harris, who ruled that there had been no unreasonable delay. The trial is due to take place at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The Poor Sisters of Nazareth ran children's homes in Glasgow and Lanarkshire as well as in Aberdeen and Midlothian. The Nazareth base in Aberdeen, which is given as Sister Alphonso's address, was founded in 1872 and at one time housed more than 300 children. It became an old people's home in 1982, caring mainly for elderly women.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/879047.stm

'Broken teeth' claim at nun trial

The home where Mrs Cusiter stayed

A woman has told a court that a nun threw her against a wall, breaking her front teeth, when she was 13 years old. Helen Cusiter, 43, was giving evidence on the second day of a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Marie Docherty, 59, also known as Sister Alphonso, denies 23 charges of cruel treatment of children at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian between 1965 and 1980. Mrs Cusiter, who lived at the home in Aberdeen from 1967 to 1971, said Sister Alphonso would pick on children and "batter" them up to three times a week.

Marie Docherty denies all the charges

She told the court she had been sitting on a swing at the home in Aberdeen when Sister Alphonso grabbed her hair without warning and threw her into the wall, breaking four of her front teeth. Earlier, she said that in another incident the nun had turned "as red as a lobster" while beating her with her fists and boots for stealing sweets from a nearby shop. Mrs Cusiter said Sister Alphonso only stopped when she thought she was unconscious, but later denied carrying out the beating. After one beating, her bruises had been noticed during a school PE class and the matter raised with the headmaster. Made to kiss feet "I was covered in bruises. The whole of my body was black and blue," she told the court. One another occasion, she said she was made to kiss the nun's feet to gain permission to go swimming. "It was so degrading, humiliating," Mrs Cusiter added.

Helen Cusiter arrives at court

The witness also recalled going to Sister Alphonso when she had her first period. She said the nun called her "a dirty bitch" and said that was what happened to people who did not behave. It was God's punishment and she would have until midnight and would then die, Mrs Cusiter said she was told. Under cross-examination by defence advocate Paul Cullen QC, Mrs Cusiter said she believed some members of the Order of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth had "got together" to fabricate evidence relating to the case. She said: "Under the habits they are only human after all. Damages action "They haven't got wings attached to their backs. They're no angels." Asked about a civil action she has raised seeking £150,000 damages from the order for psychiatric problems, Mrs Cusiter claimed she was not after money but justice. The charges further accuse Docherty of washing girls' hair with disinfectant and forcing them to wear soiled underwear and bed linen on their heads. Other allegations include forcing some youngsters to kiss a dead nun. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/881408.stm

'Nun beat me with steel spoon'

Sister Alphonso worked at Nazareth House in Aberdeen

A court has been told that an eight-year-old wet herself in fear when she was beaten with a steel serving spoon by a nun. Magdalene Crocker, who is now 42, broke down in tears as she described the incident to Aberdeen Sheriff Court during the trial of Sister Alphonso. Mrs Crocker said she arrived at Nazareth House in Aberdeen in 1965 with her six brothers and sisters, when her parents' marriage broke up. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksShe said she was a good singer and that when she was aged about eight she was chosen to represent her school and the Brownies at the Aberdeen Music Festival. This meant she needed two uniforms, but she said when she mentioned this to Sister Alphonso, who was in charge of her group, she was told to go and wait in the toilet. Her voice breaking with emotion, Mrs Crocker described how the nun arrived with a steel serving spoon in her hand and started lashing her around the head with it. Mrs Crocker said the nun was saying something about uniforms. Contacted bishop She went on: "I was scared and frightened. I was so scared I wet myself." Mrs Crocker, who is now a social work therapist, then recalled feeling her head was wet. She looked at her hand and found blood. The court heard she decided to speak to Grampian Police about four years ago after they contacted her younger sister in connection with Nazareth House.

She only contacted her solicitor after that because Aberdeen's Roman Catholic bishop Mario Conti had said the church was offering to help former residents of Nazareth House. Mrs Crocker asked the bishop for reassurance that he would investigate the past. She said: "He made me very cross because he tried in his comments to minimise what happened." He said in those days it was hard and "discipline was discipline". Mrs Crocker said she asked Bishop Conti if the church was an accountable organisation. Apology sought She said his words to her were: "We are an autonomous organisation and we're not accountable to anybody." She agreed she was now suing the church but "didn't want their blood money". Asked what she did want, she replied: "That Sister Alphonso could say she was sorry, that Nazareth House could say that they were sorry, and admit they didn't get eveyrthing right". Earlier, she told the court how sister Alphonso took her to a mortuary at the house and made her kiss a dead nun. She said she remembered the stench in the room. Asked about Nazareth House Mrs Crocker told the court: "I feel so ashamed. I feel dirty and horrible about my past in that place". The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/882958.stm

Nun breaks down over witness' anguish

Sister Alphonso denies all the charges

A nun facing charges of cruelty to children broke down in the dock as one of her alleged victims described the mental anguish she suffers. The trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of 58-year-old Marie Docherty - also known as Sister Alphonso - was halted briefly on Thursday after she buried her head in her hands and started crying. The court also heard another alleged victim describe how Sister Alphonso struck her on the head with a heavy book - just days after the girl was treated in hospital for a head injury. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksSister Alphonso faces 23 charges of treating children cruelly at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian. Sister Alphonso broke down after listening to Anne Montgomery, a former resident of the Nazareth House home in Lasswade. Ms Montgomery spoke of being beaten by the nun till her shoulder and arm were covered in bruises. She also revealed she was terrified of open doors because she was afraid Sister Alphonso would enter through them. The court was cleared while one of her legal team tried to calm the nun.

Catherine Ennaaomaoui said the accused had hit her

Earlier the court heard Mrs Catherine Ennaaomaoui tell how at the age of 14 she fell off a swing and struck her head at Nazareth House in Aberdeen. Mrs Ennaaomaoui thought a priest gave her the Last Rites, but she then received hospital treatment and returned to the House. She said a short time after coming out of hospital with a lump on her head, Sister Alphonso came into her room and struck her on the other side of the head with a heavy black book. Mrs Ennaaomaoui said she was shocked because she had not done or said anything. She said she remembered Sister Alphonso saying she should apologise to Sister Hildegard, but she did not know why. Mrs Ennaaomaoui arrived at Nazareth House at the age of 12 with her six brothers and sisters after their parents' marriage broke up. The witness said she was afraid of the nun - who was in charge of her group at Nazareth House, along with Sister Hildegard. Mrs Ennaaomaoui said she suffered emotional damage as a result of what had happened to her as a child and had received psychiatric treatment since being asked by the police to recall her experiences. She broke down on the witness stand when Depute Fiscal Anne Macdonald asked what sort of effect giving evidence in court was having. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/884199.stm

Nun 'wicked' says ex-resident

Sister Alphonso denies all the charges

A woman has described as "wicked" a nun who denies causing cruelty to former residents at two children's homes in Scotland. Louise Clark was giving evidence in the trial of Marie Docherty, known as Sister Alphonso, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Miss Clark, 32, said Sister Alphonso was in charge of her group between 1976 and 1979 at the Nazareth House home in Lasswade run by the Poor Sisters of Nazareth. She told the court she had a bed-wetting problem as a child. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksShe said Sister Alphonso would thump her with her knuckles on the side of the head when she wet the bed and then send her to the laundry to handwash her sheets. She said this made her problem worse. When asked by depute-fiscal Anne Macdonald how she looked upon Sister Alphonso, Miss Clark replied: "Wicked. I was scared of her. It was her eyes." She went on to tell the court that once, when she had not gone to church on Sunday, the nun had kept urging her and then dragged her upstairs by the ear. Miss Clark recalled another occasion when she fell out with another girl and swore. She said Sister Alphonso took both of them to the changing room. The nun kept hitting their heads on the changing room lockers before forcing soap into their mouths.

Nazareth House in Aberdeen

She admitted having a previous conviction for dishonesty as well as lodging claims for compensation regarding her time at Nazareth House. She said she was telling the truth and was not giving evidence to make money. Jane McGhee, who was in care at the Lasswade Nazareth House, told the court that, on one occasion, Sister Alphonso punched her on the face for lending her school tie to someone else. Ms McGhee, 32, said that when her schoolteacher asked what had happened to cause the bruising on her cheek, she told him. When she returned to Nazareth House, however, members of staff then forced her to tell her teacher it was a lie. The trial was adjourned until Monday after Sister Alphonso became unwell during evidence and had to be helped from the dock.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/885856.stm

Nun trial hears wet pants claim

Sister Alphonso denies all the charges

A nun forced young girls to identify anyone who had wet themselves before making the culprits wear soiled underwear on their heads, a court has been told. The ritual was carried out after girls at a Roman Catholic-run children's home had finished saying their rosary. A former resident of the Nazareth House home in Aberdeen said that afterwards, Sister Alphonso would nominate one girl to smell the rest to identify who had wet themselves. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksJeanette Adams, now 41, was in care at Nazareth House between the ages of nine and 13. She said anyone who had wet themselves would be made to put their underwear on their heads for up to an hour before Sister Alphonso would allow them to be removed. Mrs Adams also told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Sister Alphonso - also known as Marie Docherty - force-fed her on occasions. She once woke in bed to find Sister Alphonso hitting her with a hard-faced doll for allegedly fighting with the daughter of another member of staff, the court heard. She was speaking on the sixth day of the sheriff and jury trial of Marie Docherty, who denies charges of cruel and unnatural treatment of girls at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Lasswade, Midlothian. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/889911.stm

Nun 'victim' tells of suicide attempts

Sister Alphonso faces more than 20 charges

The trial of a nun facing charges of child cruelty has been told that one girl she allegedly abused felt so worthless she tried to commit suicide. Agnes Fowler, a former resident of Roman Catholic children's home Nazareth House in Aberdeen, said she had been terrified of the accused.

Agnes Fowler: Abuse claim

Mrs Fowler, 45, told the Aberdeen Sheriff Court trial that the nun was responsible for driving her to make two suicide attempts. She said she had been forced into cold baths when suffering from epileptic fits at the home where she lived from 1965 to 1971. Mrs Fowler said Sister Alphonso labelled her fits as "attention-seeking" and encouraged other girls at the home to make fun of her. She added: "You were constantly aware that something was going to happen. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeks"If you didn't do what you were told - or even if you did do what you were told - if Sister Alphonso was in a bad mood, whichever child happened to be in her road, they got a punching." Mrs Fowler, who was born with a hole in the heart and made several attempts to run away from the home, said she never told anyone about the alleged abuse because "who was going to believe a child over a nun?" But under cross-examination by defence advocate Paul Cullen QC, the witness admitted that in recent years she had sent Sister Alphonso a Christmas card thanking her for her friendship. She also admitted hugging the nun in public, voluntarily seeking out her company and asking her for a job. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/891364.stm

Nun 'punched' sick girl

Sister Alphonso faces 23 charges

A court has been told that a young girl suffering from rheumatic fever was punched in the chest by a nun. Patricia Milne said she was knocked off a footstool by the force of the blow from Sister Alphonso, who is standing trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on abuse charges. The charges Marie Docherty faces 23 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksShe was later carried upstairs to bed, and estimated it was another three months before her condition was diagnosed as rheumatic fever and she was admitted to hospital for treatment. Mrs Milne, who is now 44, was a resident at Nazareth House children's home in Aberdeen between 1959 and 1972. She told the court on Wednesday that on one occasion she and other youngsters had been made to line up and kiss a dead nun "to show respect". Mrs Milne said she could not remember if it was Sister Alphonso or another nun, Sister Hildegarde, who made her kiss the dead nun, but said she had not wanted to carry out the act and felt "scared".

Patricia Milne: "Kissed dead nun"

She also said that she was made to hold down a young boy while Sister Alphonso, 58, hit him with a slipper. Mrs Milne said she was aged between 10 and 12 when she had entered a room to find Sister Alphonso - from the Roman Catholic order of the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth - striking a five or six-year-old boy. "Sister Alphonso asked me to hold the boy down while she used a slipper on his backside. "She had him over the knee but the boy had been kicking her and so she asked me to hold him while she hit his bottom with a slipper," said Mrs Milne. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/892777.stm

Cruelty charge falls after collapse

Sister Alphonso now faces 22 charges

A nun has been acquitted of one of a series of child cruelty charges after a woman collapsed in the witness box. Ellen Grant fainted after describing her time at a Roman Catholic children's home in Aberdeen as "hell". She had to be taken to hospital and was later excused from giving further evidence at the trial of Marie Docherty. Sheriff Colin Harris ordered that the nun, also known as Sister Alphonso, should be formally acquitted on the charge relating to Miss Grant. But she still faces 22 further charges of cruelty towards young girls at Nazareth House between 1965 and 1980. Sister Alphonso denies all charges. The charges Marie Docherty faces 22 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksMiss Grant told Aberdeen Sheriff Court she was sent to Nazareth House when she was eight after her mother died. She said that on her arrival she was crying and missing her mother. Sister Alphonso is said to have told her: "Your Mum is dead, you are an orphan and nobody wants you." She said she also tried to stay awake at night because she feared she might wet the bed and face having the soiled sheets put over her head. When asked if she could remember her time at Nazareth House she replied "it was hell". Miss Grant fainted as she recalled her experiences and the trial had to be adjourned while she was given medical care. On Friday, another witness, Grace Montgomery, 37, said a television programme had prompted her to tell police about her treatment. She said she had blanked out her time at the Nazareth House home in Midlothian and admitted her recollection of the eight years she was there were vague. The trial was adjourned until Monday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/894450.stm

Child 'locked away with dead body'

Sister Alphonso faces 22 charges

An alleged victim of a nun facing cruelty charges has told a court that she was locked in a chapel where a dead body lay in an open coffin. Sister Alphonso is said to have committed the offences while working at Roman Catholic children's homes in Aberdeenshire between 1965 and 1980. The charges Marie Docherty faces 22 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksAnne Stewart told Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Tuesday that she was staying at Nazareth House in the city when a nun died. All the children were taken to the home's chapel to see the body. But Mrs Stewart, now 42, ran out screaming when one of the youngsters hit the coffin. She said Sister Alphonso came after her, brought her back and locked her in the chapel with the body. Mrs Stewart said Sister Alphonso was like a "Jeykll and Hyde character". One day she would be "all right" and the next she would be shouting like "a mad woman". Last week, the accused was acquitted of one of the 23 charges against her. Sister Alphonso denies all the remaining charges. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/901188.stm

Nun 'slapped' girl for singing

Sister Alphonso faces 22 charges

A court has heard that a child was slapped by a nun for singing a pop song. Isabella Tedder, 42, said she was 10 at the time of the alleged incident. She told Aberdeen Sheriff Court she remembered singing Puppet on a String while on a bus going to school. The charges Marie Docherty faces 22 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear The trial is expected to last up to six weeksSister Alphonso called out her name and ordered her to stop singing, Mrs Tedder said. She said the nun then started slapping her on the face. Mrs Tedder also told the court Sister Alphonso had slapped her when she tried to speak to her brother while they were waiting for a school bus. She had also witnessed her slapping a girl who was suffering an epileptic fit. Marie Docherty, who is also known as Sister Alphonso, denies 22 charges of cruel and unnatural treatment towards girls at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian. The trial continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/902985.stm

Dictatorship claim at cruelty trial

Sister Alphonso faces 22 charges

A children's home in Midlothian was like a dictatorship when a nun accused of cruelty was there, a court has heard. Former care assistant Ann Donaldson was giving evidence in the trial of Marie Docherty, also known as Sister Alphonso, who denies 22 charges of cruelty to girls over a 15-year period. The witness worked alongside Sister Alphonso at Nazareth House in Lasswade. The charges Marie Docherty faces 22 charges, all of which are denied The charges date from 1965 to 1980 They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns Punching, slapping and kicking girls Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear She said she did not support the children at the time, but would now. She also told the court that she felt very guilty. Questioned by the defence, she denied a suggestion that the court case stemmed from gossip which had got out of hand to an extraordinary degree. Former resident Rosemary Kiloh said she told the nun what other children were doing to keep in Sister Alphonso's good books, because she was afraid of her. Miss Kiloh said the nun was as nice as ninepence to visitors, but when they were not there "she could change like that". Asked what she changed into, Miss Kiloh replied: "A madwoman". The trial was adjourned till Monday

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/904736.stm