Retired teacher sentenced for abusing pupils at Angus school

A retired teacher convicted of the historical abuse of 18 girls at a former residential school has been given a community sentence.

Patricia Robertson, 77, assaulted and humiliated youngsters at Fornethy House in Angus between 1969 and 1984.

Robertson denied the accusations but was convicted of 18 charges of cruel and unnatural treatment of the youngsters at the High Court in Glasgow.

Robertson was sentenced to three years’ supervision and ordered to pay each victim £1,000 compensation.

She will also be subject to a curfew, keeping her at home between 15:00 and midnight for the next year.

Judge Lord Colbeck told Robertson it was “frankly absurd” that she had claimed in a pre-sentencing report the women had lied for financial gain.

He said many of the victims were particularly vulnerable due to poverty and family circumstances.

Lord Colbeck said: “The majority had never had a proper holiday before. They all thought their stay at Fornethy would be an adventure.

“They spoke of their excitement of going – such thoughts appeared to have ended when the doors closed and the horror began.

“It is clear you behaved in a cruel and sadistic manner. The examples are too numerous to mention.”

The judge praised the victims for their “brave and dignified manner” in court.

He said: “It is not an exaggeration to suggest that the behaviour contributed to what, in effect, was a life sentence for many or all of your victims.”

The court heard Robertson’s victims had been sent to the residential school for “short-term respite” from their homes.

Robertson, now of Essex, admitted she used a “strong voice” when sometimes dealing with the girls, but denied being violent and bullying them.

The trial heard that the teacher force-fed, assaulted and humiliated the girls.

Fornethy was run by two former local authorities, Glasgow Corporation and Strathclyde Regional Council.

It closed in 1993 and the building has been empty ever since.

It was said to offer “convalescent care” for girls aged between five and 12 for up to eight weeks at a time.

A number of former residents gave evidence about the regime there at the trial.

One of the victims recalled being force-fed semolina, which she had been struggling to swallow.

The woman said she was then made to stand in a corner of the room facing away from others.

She said this sort of incident would “happen to everyone”.

The victim also said she was assaulted during a later stay at Fornethy while helping to scrub floors.

She was pulled back and forward “like a rag doll” before ending up on the floor on her knees.

Another survivor described the atmosphere at Fornethy as “scary, cold, unloved”.

She added: “You would be able to write letters (for family), but only what they dictated and you had to copy that.”

The woman said she was scared to report any incidents at the time.

Robertson also targeted one youngster who was slapped, punched and had a blackboard duster hurled at her.

Another child was put over Robertson’s knee and slapped on her bare buttocks.

Following the sentencing, procurator fiscal Faye Cook said that Robertson should have nurtured and supported the children, but instead “inflicted lasting trauma through her criminal actions”.

Ms Cook said: “Cruel and unnatural treatment is a charge used by prosecutors to capture the dynamics of systematic child abuse over a period of time.

“It is now a matter of public record that she grossly violated her duty of care while holding a position of trust and power at Fornethy House.

“Her offending may have taken place several decades ago, but this type of abuse has never been acceptable and it should not have happened.”