Five nuns are facing a further court hearing after being accused of historic child abuse, including forcing a child to eat vomit and pressing a hot iron onto a teenager's hand, according to charges presented at the High Court in Glasgow.
Marie Docherty, 84, Mary Broderick, 84, Margaret McLafferty, 68, Kathleen McLean, 77, and Mary Doyle, 81, are named on an indictment containing 108 charges. The alleged offences span 17 years, from 1965 to 1982, and are said to have taken place mainly at Nazareth House locations in Aberdeen and Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.
Details of the Allegations
The indictment includes an allegation that Docherty forced a boy to eat spoiled food, struck him with a wooden stick, made him stand while wearing soiled bedding, and locked him in a room. Another charge alleges that Docherty pressed a hot iron onto a teenage girl's hand, repeatedly struck her on the head and body, and forced her to lie in bed.
Docherty allegedly refused to give another girl food, causing her to faint. The same girl allegedly had soap forced into her mouth, causing her to vomit. Her head was then allegedly pushed into the vomit and she was told to eat it, according to the charges.
Other charges allege that Docherty, Broderick, and Doyle forced some children to kiss a corpse. The indictment also contains allegations that children were punched, struck, kicked, and force-fed, and made to stand while wearing soiled bedding or clothing, among other allegations.
Court Proceedings and Timeline
A preliminary hearing took place at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday, August 31, before Lord Renucci, who scheduled a further preliminary hearing for January 22, 2027. The court has provisionally set aside eight weeks for a trial beginning on March 30, 2027, in Glasgow.
The accused have previously entered pleas of not guilty. The case is set to proceed through the Scottish legal system, with the next hearing scheduled for January 2027 and a potential trial later that year.
