Nuns who carried out abuse at children’s home ordered to compensate victims
Marie O’Gorman, 79, and Mary McGuire, 68, were sentenced to probation orders rather than jail terms.
Two nuns who abused vulnerable young people at a children’s home more than 40 years ago have been ordered to pay their victims £1,000 each.
Marie O’Gorman, 79, and Mary McGuire, 68, were sentenced to probation orders rather than jail terms at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
A sheriff said they were responsible for “violent, humiliating and degrading behaviour”.
Prosecutors said they “gravely abused the authority and trust placed in them”.
The two women had earlier admitted several charges of cruel and unnatural treatment as well as assault.
The convictions related to seven children who were resident at Nazareth House in Cardonald, Glasgow, between 1975 and 1981.
O’Gorman, who entered the congregation of Sisters of Nazareth in 1963, was known as Sister Mary Aelred to the children.
The children she abused were aged between three and 11 at the time.
The Crown Office said her offending included repeatedly striking the victims with items such as a harness, slipper and belt.
McGuire was known as Sister Maria Bernadette to the children.
She admitted abusing five children, aged between five and 12 at the time, with her crimes including striking them with items including a slipper, a leather belt and a wooden hairbrush.
Both women were placed under supervision for two years and ordered to perform 225 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.
They were also ordered to pay £1,000 to each of their victims.
Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Arroll KC said that Nazareth House was mean to be “a place of safety, security and comfort”, and told them: “Your conduct ensured it was none of those.”
The sheriff said: “You both engaged in violent, humiliating and degrading behaviour.
“Your conduct involved, amongst other things, repeatedly striking children with implements, including leather belts, slippers and hairbrush.
“You were both in positions of responsibility and used those positions to abuse vulnerable children in your care over a period of years.”
Sheriff Arroll said that McGuire was “monstrous” towards the children, though later led a law-abiding life.
O’Gorman demonstrated remorse and apologised to the victims, she said.
Sheriff Arroll said: “The gravity of the crimes you have committed is such that the custodial threshold has been passed in this case. However, a sentence of imprisonment can only be imposed if the court considers that no other method of dealing with you is appropriate.”
Procurator fiscal Fraser Gibson said: “Marie O’Gorman and Mary McGuire were trusted to care for vulnerable children who had almost no support and relied entirely on the adults around them for safety and compassion.
“Instead of offering that care, they caused them profound and lasting harm. It is now a matter of public record that, while working at Nazareth House, both individuals gravely abused the authority and trust placed in them.
“Their offending may have taken place several decades ago, but this type of abuse has never been acceptable and should not have happened.
“The Crown treats all allegations of non‑recent child abuse with the utmost seriousness, and no matter how much time has passed, we remain committed to ensuring survivors are heard and perpetrators held accountable.”
