Five nuns, three of whom are in their 80s, are to go on trial next spring after being accused of historic abuse against children, the Press Association reports.
Marie Docherty, 84, Mary Broderick, 84, Margaret McLafferty, 68, Kathleen McLean, 77, and Mary Doyle, 81, are named on an indictment which contains 108 charges, a hearing at Glasgow High Court heard.
Charges span 17 years
The charges span 17 years, with offences alleged to have taken place mainly at Nazareth House locations in Aberdeen and Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, between 1965 and 1982.
The indictment includes an allegation that Docherty forced a boy to consume spoiled food, struck him with a wooden stick, forced him to stand wearing soiled bedding, and locked him in a room.
Further allegations in indictment
Another charge alleges Docherty pressed a hot iron onto a teenage girl's hand, repeatedly struck her on her head and body, and forced her to lie in bed.
Docherty allegedly refused to provide another girl with food, causing her to faint. The same girl also allegedly had soap forced into her mouth, which caused her to vomit. The charges allege that her head was then pushed into the vomit, and she was instructed to eat it.
Court schedules and pleas
Other charges allege that Docherty, Broderick, and Doyle forced some children to kiss a corpse. The indictment also includes allegations that children were punched, struck, kicked, force-fed, and forced to stand while wearing soiled bedding or clothing.
A preliminary hearing took place at the High Court in Glasgow before Lord Renucci, who scheduled a further preliminary hearing for January 22, 2027. The court has provisionally set aside eight weeks for a trial starting on March 30, 2027, in Glasgow. The accused have previously entered pleas of not guilty.
