Nuns who carried out six-year campaign of abuse at Nazareth House children's home in Glasgow avoid jail

Two nuns who carried out historical abuse at a children’s home have avoided jail.

Marie O’Gorman, 79, and Mary McGuire, 68, terrorised seven vulnerable youngsters who were in their care at Nazareth House in Glasgow’s Cardonald.

McGuire, of Lochore, Fife, pleaded guilty last month to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering and four assaults.

O’Gorman, who now resides in County Cork, Ireland, admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering and one assault.

Sheriff Louise Arrol KC imposed a probation order on both women at Wednesday’s sentencing.

McGuire was ordered to do 225 hours of unpaid work and put under supervision for two years.

O’Gorman was placed under supervision for two years.

Both women will pay £1,000 to each of their victims and have been deemed unsuitable to work with children.

The sheriff told them that, despite the custodial threshold being met, there was an appropriate alternative which could be passed.

Sheriff Arrol stated: “Nazareth House was supposed to be a place of safety, security and comfort. It was none of this.

“Your victims were aged between three and 12, and you were both in a position of trust.

“Ms McGuire was a novice, and Ms O’Gorman, you had made full vows.

“Both of you had the responsibility of caring for children who desperately required love and support. You failed to provide that.

“You both engaged in violent, humiliating and degrading behaviour.

“You were in a position of responsibility, which you used to abuse these vulnerable children over a period of years.”

The sentencing was told that McGuire had essentially “lied” to the author of her background reports as to her guilt in her crimes.

Sheriff Arrol addressed this and told her: “It is fair to say you were nothing short of monstrous to the victims. This is the true picture.”

O’Gorman began her services at the Sisters of Nazareth congregation in 1963.

Her first victim was aged between four and eight when he pushed O’Gorman for upsetting his sister.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how O’Gorman – described as a “disciplinarian” of the home – struck the boy’s bottom with a leather harness.

The child was bloodied and cried for help as a result of the attack between 1975 and 1979.

O’Gorman was also abusive towards the same boy while he was in a bath.

The boy’s sister, when aged between three and seven, was hit on the body by O’Gorman.

The girl was also hit with a slipper.

Fiscal Lauren Aitchison said: “The victim recalled if she wet the bed, O’Gorman would take her to the bathroom, force her to stand in a freezing bath and pour cold water on her.”

The same victim was then made to wear a nappy in front of the other children, which made her feel “degraded”.

A second girl was aged around ten or 11 when O’Gorman struck her with a leather belt on the hand for not eating her vegetables.

The victim recalled crying after the incident and went on to eat all of her meals.

The court heard that McGuire joined the congregation in 1975 and worked at Nazareth House between 1978 and 1981.

Her first victim was ten years old when McGuire struck the girl on the body with a leather belt for “being cheeky”.

The buckle hit her on the eye, which caused a bruise.

The same girl recalled being struck on the leg with McGuire’s hand after losing a sandal on a trip to Girvan, South Ayrshire.

McGuire’s second victim was aged between seven and ten when she struck him with a belt in front of the other kids.

She went on to put the boy over her knee and smacked him up to five times, leaving him in tears.

The boy’s brother was also a victim at the hands of McGuire, who repeatedly struck him when he was aged between eight and 11 years old.

McGuire later shouted at a 16-year-old girl for misbehaving in a chapel.

Ms Aitchison stated: “She said she would teach her not to do it again.

“McGuire took a hairbrush and struck her on the back of the head, which made her cry and become fearful.”

The final victim initially recalled McGuire being nice to her when she moved to the home.

However, the girl, who was aged between five and six, stated that McGuire struck her again with a leather belt and recalled that it felt “nippy”.

The court heard that McGuire left the nunnery after 1981 and has spent the last 40 years as a care worker.

McGuire’s lawyer told the sentencing that his client “copped up” what she told her social work background report.

Sheriff Arrol replied: “This report was disgraceful, I have never read a report as disgraceful as this. There was no remorse, she said she didn’t do it and said that she was the victim. It’s appalling.”

Paul Hannah, defending O’Gorman, later stated: “She did things years ago that were clearly not good and harmed her victims.

“She accepts there was a culture of this behaviour at Nazareth House at the time.”