Cash claims over homes ordeals

Docherty was found guilty at Aberdeen Sheriff Court

The religious order which ran the homes where Sister Alphonso terrified young children now faces 400 compensation claims. The total being sought through the civil courts by the nun's victims is nearly £8m. The order, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, was founded in London in the 19th century although in recent years the word "poor" has been dropped from the title. The Sisters of Nazareth are now worth more than £100m in income and assets. Cameron Fyfe, the solicitor acting on behalf of those who brought the complaints, believes the compensation bids have not been motivated by greed. He said: "No one ever asked me how much money they were going to get - all they wanted was to be believed by the church and to receive an apology." Eleven test cases are to be heard at the Court of Session and Mr Fyfe hopes that if his clients win it will lead to a settlement on all 400 claims. She punched you with her hands. Some kids used to hit off the walls Grace MacKenzie Former residents of the homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian have spoken about their ordeals at the hands of Sister Alphonso. The nun, who now prefers to be known as Sister Marie, has been found guilty of four of the seven remaining cruelty charges against her at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Agnes Fowler, a former resident of Roman Catholic children's home Nazareth House in Aberdeen, said she had been terrified of Sister Alphonso, whose real name is Marie Docherty. Mrs Fowler, 45, said that that the nun was responsible for driving her to make two suicide attempts. Docherty was found guilty on Monday at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of four charges of cruelty against children at Nazareth House homes over a 15-year period. The kids were made to make fun of me, they used to mock me taking a fit Agnes Fowler 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?" Mrs Fowler, whose maiden name was Michie, said: "I was locked up most of the time and it was all because of my epilepsy. "The kids were told I was mad and I took fits therefore I had to be locked up. "Alphonso used to say: 'Come on, this is Michie looking for attention again'. "The kids were made to make fun of me, they used to mock me taking a fit.

Agnes Fowler: "Suicide attempts"

"It was very depressing because you couldn't tell anybody. "You were terrified to tell anybody in case it got back to her, because if it got back to her, it would be 10 times worse for you." Another resident, Grace MacKenzie, was just seven when she arrived at Nazareth House in 1968. She remembers Sister Alphonso beating her and other children as an everyday occurrence. She said: "She punched you with her hands. Some kids used to hit off the walls. You couldn't say nothing because you knew if you had told them you were for a hiding afterwards Grace MacKenzie "She pulled your hair, sometimes you were made to sit out in the corridors, she force-fed you. "It should never have been allowed, it should have been stopped. "I mean, our social workers came to see us while we were there, but when you were taken to the parlour you were told what to say to them: 'And don't mention this or don't mention that'. "Sister Alphonso was always there with you so you couldn't say nothing because you knew if you had told them you were for a hiding afterwards." Psychological effects The effect of violence on children can have profound consequences in their adult lives. Christina del Priore, head of clinical psychology at Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital, said that adults can grow to be unable to protect themselves or their children. "An adult can develop a violent stance. This isn't a generational violence and look at this as the correct way to behave. "Or an adult can become vulnerable and unable to protect themselves from abuse. "A woman, for example, could be unable to protect her children from abuse because she feels that that is the way things are. So these are the damaging effects of abuse in childhood."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/928896.stm