Nuns admit six-year campaign of abuse at children's home

Two nuns have admitted carrying out a six-year campaign of abuse at a children's home.

Marie O'Gorman, 79, and Mary McGuire, 68, targeted seven vulnerable children who were in their care at Nazareth House in Glasgow's Cardonald.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the offences, which included attacks with a belt and a slipper, were carried out between 1975 and 1981.

The women, who were granted bail, will be sentenced next month.

O'Gorman began her services at the Sisters of Nazareth congregation in 1963.

Her first victim was aged between four and eight when he pushed O'Gorman for upsetting his sister.

The court heard how O'Gorman, who was described as a "disciplinarian" of the home, struck the boy on his bare buttocks with a leather harness.

The child was left bloodied and cried for help following the attack, which happened between 1975 and 1979.

O'Gorman, who now lives in Ireland, was also abusive towards the same boy while he was in a bath.

The boy's sister was aged between three and seven when she was hit on the body by O'Gorman.

She was also hit on the buttocks with a slipper.

Procurator fiscal Lauren Aitchison said: "The victim recalled that, if she wet the bed, O'Gorman would take her to the bathroom, force her to stand in a freezing bath and pour cold water on her."

The same victim was then made to wear a nappy in front of the other children which made her feel "degraded."

A second girl was aged around 10 or 11 when O'Gorman struck her with a leather belt on the hand for not eating her vegetables.

The victim recalled crying after the incident and went on to eat all of her meals.

The court heard that McGuire joined the congregation in 1975 and worked at Nazareth House between 1978 and 1981.

Her first victim was 10 when McGuire struck the girl on the body with a leather belt for "being cheeky."

The buckle hit her on the eye which caused a bruise.

The same girl recalled being struck on the leg with McGuire's hand after losing a sandal on a trip to Girvan, South Ayrshire.

McGuire's second victim was aged between seven and 10 when she hit him with a belt in front of the other kids.

She went on to put the boy over her knee and smacked him up five times, leaving him in tears.

The boy's brother was also a victim of McGuire who repeatedly struck when he was aged between eight and 11.

McGuire, of Lochore, Fife, later shouted at a 16-year-old girl for misbehaving in a chapel.

Aitchison told the court: "She said she would teach her not to do it again.

"McGuire took a hairbrush and struck her to the back of the head which made her cry and become fearful."

The final victim initially recalled McGuire being nice to her when she moved to the home.

However, the girl - who was aged between five and six at the time - said McGuire struck her again with a leather belt and recalled that it felt "nippy".

The court heard that McGuire has left the nunnery after 1981 and has spent the last 40 years as a care worker.

McGuire pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering and one assault.

O'Gorman admitted one charge of causing unnecessary suffering and three assaults.

Judge Louise Arrol KC deferred sentence until next month pending background reports.