SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland
Stephen Naysmith
NUNS who abused children at homes run by the Sisters of Nazareth were unsuited to work with young people, while staff took on too many children to care for them all properly, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry heard yesterday.
The inquiry was told 257 former residents of the Catholic order’s four Scottish homes have started civil actions over alleged abuse, while an additional 147 have complained they suffered while in the sisters’ care.
Sister Anna Maria Doolan, the UK regional superior in charge of the Sisters of Nazareth, told the inquiry there had been complaints against all four Nazareth houses, in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Kilmarnock.
She said the congregation had been guilty of wanting to help too many vulnerable or destitute children. Staffing ratios at the homes were described as meaning one nun was responsible for up to 20 children, although figures presented to the inquiry appeared to show the ratios were sometimes much higher, particularly in Aberdeen.
Sister Doolan said: “With the gift of hindsight, these large numbers were probably too big for the sisters looking after them.
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