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