Nun Tells Court There Was a " Punishment Room" .

By Lynn Jolly
Paisley Daily Express
May 1, 2013

http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2013/05/01/nun-tells-court-there-was-a-punishment-room-87085-33263031/

A nun accused of physically abusing girls at an approved school more than 40 years ago admitted to police that there was a punishment room on the premises, a court was told yesterday.

But 79-year-old Anne Kenny, known as Mother Rosaria, claimed it was only used for “cooling off” badly-misbehaved pupils.

And she said that none of the girls had been hit.

Kenny and 77-year-old Agnes Reville, known as Mother Martin, deny assaulting eight girls at Dalbeath Approved School in Bishopton, in the early 1970s.

Four former pupils have claimed in evidence that they were physically abused during their time at the school.

Yesterday at Paisley Sheriff Court, DC Moira Fyfe told the jury that she travelled down to Manchester on January 27, 2009, with DC Lesley McAuley, to interview Kenny.

Depute fiscal Douglas Hamilton asked DC Fyfe: “Does DC McAuley ask if there was a detention room and does Mother Rosaria reply ‘yes’ and then say the room was known as a cooling-off room and was placed next to the residential nurses?” and the officer replied: “Yes.”

Mr Hamilton then said: “Did Mother Rosaria say they had a bell the pupils could use for calling and one of the staff would go?” and DC Fyfe said: “That’s correct.”

The prosecutor added: “Did Mother Rosaria say they were treated in a civilised, refined way.

“They would be given food, but not a knife?” and the officer said: “Yes.”

The jury heard that Mother Rosaria said the pupils would only be put in the detention room if they were badly behaved and added that there was no physical abuse of the girls, saying: “We weren’t allowed to slap the children or anything.”

Mr Hamilton then said: “In fact, Mother Rosaria said it would be contrary to the rules of their order to hit children didn’t she?”

DC Fyfe replied: “She did.”

Both nuns deny the charges. The trial before Sheriff Susan Sinclair continues.