Care home worker found guilty of sexually assaulting boy and girl 50 years ago

A care home worker who subjected two vulnerable children to repeated sexual assaults has been brought to justice – almost 50 years after the attacks began.

Peter Murray, 70, preyed on his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at Colonsay Children’s Home in Perth between January 1976 and August 1981.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard evidence about how Murray worked at the home and was supposed to help care for vulnerable residents.

However, targeted his first victim when she was just 14 and he was 20. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her until May the following year.

The court heard that Murray, of Livingston, West Lothian, started abusing his second victim, a 14-year-old boy in August 1980 – the abuse continued for another year.

Murray denied any wrongdoing, but jurors returned guilty verdicts on two charges of sexual assault against his victims.

Judge Lady Carmichael told Murray that she would need a report on his background before she could decide what sentence to impose on him.

She added: “Mr Murray will be remanded in custody.”

It is not the first time that Colonsay care home has been in the news. Claims of sexual misconduct at the facility have been previously investigated by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

The story emerged following a trial at the court. Jurors saw a video recording of Murray’s victim speaking to English police officers about what had happened.

The court heard how the woman spoke to detectives in February 2022 – almost 46 years after she was targeted by Murray, who was a worker at the home.

She told the police officers about how he would walk around the care facility and would walk into the shower room whilst she was undressed.

The woman also told the court how he entered her bedroom whilst she was asleep and sexually assaulted her.

She told the court how Murray also offered her cash in return for sex.

The woman said: “He used to say to me ‘what would you do for more pocket money. You could do me favours – I could make sure you could get more pocket money.’”

The woman spoke of how she was sexually abused by him.

She added: “It was terrible. It was disgusting. He made me feel very sick.”

The woman then gave evidence in court.

Defence advocate Wendy Culross put her client’s position to her in cross-examination.

She said: “It is Peter Murray’s position that he did not do anything to you at all?”

She replied: “That’s not true.”

The English officers who spoke to the woman then got in touch with Scottish colleagues.

Officers discovered that Murray also preyed on a teenage boy at the facility.

The court heard how he watched his victim bathing naked and that he also forced his victim to perform a sex act on him. He also entered the boy’s bedroom when he was sleeping and pulled down his clothing before sexually assaulting him.

Officers managed to build enough of a case to bring Murray to justice.

Following the conviction, Murray shook his head in disbelief. It emerged that Murray had a previous conviction from 1993, but the jury wasn’t told about the exact nature of it.

Murray will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 7, 2025.