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Child abuse reconciliation bid 'doomed'

Plans to offer "truth and reconciliation" to victims of historic child abuse appeared doomed to failure last night after campaigners predicted a widespread boycott of the scheme, writes Fiona Gray.

The Scottish Government has refused to abolish the legal time bar which prevents many child abuse victims from the 1960s and earlier suing their tormenters for compensation. Instead, it wants to encourage victims to tell their stories and abusers to admit their guilt without fear of prosecution.

Adeline Bowden, 46, from Erskine, campaigned for 13 years to be able to sue her abusers but the campaign came to an end after the House of Lords ruling earlier this year that the time bar could not be lifted.

Bowden grew up in the Nazareth House convent in Cardonald, Glasgow, in the 1960s, where she claims she underwent beatings, force feedings, and routine humiliation by the Poor Sisters of Nazareth.

The Poor Sisters of Nazareth had children's homes in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Lasswade and Kilmarnock, and all have been the subject of numerous allegations that children were abused. One nun, Sister Alphonso, was convicted in 2000 of four child abuse charges.

Bowden described the abuse she alleges: "We were put in cold baths for wetting the bed, then the bed sheets were wrapped around us and our pants were put on our heads. We were fed porridge and if you couldn't eat it one of the carers would spoon feed you.

"You would start gagging and they would force you to eat it. If you were sick you were made to eat your own vomit as well. You would end up on the floor in a heap and they would beat you."

Bowden said she will not take part in truth and reconciliation. She said: "This is the last thing we want. I have deliberately stayed away because the last thing I want or need is to keep being reminded of my abuse. My memories are hard enough to live with."

Full story at Scotland on Sunday.