Nun Told Police about Approved School "Punishment Room', Court Hears

STV
April 30, 2013

http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/223537-nun-told-police-about-approved-school-punishment-room-court-hears/

Trial: Case being heard at Paisley Sheriff Court.© STV

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 has heard.

However, 79-year-old Anne Kenny, known as Mother Rosaria, claimed it was used only as a "cooling off" room for badly behaving pupils and she added that none of the girls was ever hit.

Kenny and 77-year-old Agnes Reville, known as Mother Martin, deny assaulting eight girls at Dalbeth Approved School in Bishopton where they were head teacher and deputy head respectively in the early 1970s.

Four former pupils have claimed in evidence that they were physically abused during their time at the school. Christine Logan, 57, claims that, aged 14, she was tied to a pipe in a cupboard and left there for two days without food.

On Tuesday at Paisley Sheriff Court, DC Moira Fyfe told the jury that she travelled to Manchester on January 27, 2009, with DC Lesley McAuley, who was leading the investigation, and they interviewed Kenny at a police station in the city.

The jury was read excerpts from the taped interview by depute fiscal Douglas Hamilton.

He 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?" and DC Fyfe replied: "She did."

DC Fyfe, who at the time was part of Strathclyde Police's public protection unit, said her only involvement in the case was to "neighbour" DC McAuley on seven occasions over more than a year.

She agreed that as far as the investigation was concerned DC McAuley could be described as a one-woman band.

When asked by defence QC Ronnie Clancy, defending Kenny, who was supervising DC McAuley, DC Fyfe replied: "I can only imagine it was the detective sergeant in charge of the unit at the time."

Mr Clancy told DC Fyfe that the court has heard a claim that DC McAuley gave alleged victim Mary Mowetta's phone number to two other alleged victims Catherine Logan and Patricia Timothy and Mrs Logan's number to Miss Mowetta.

The QC then asked her what would be her opinion if this happened in a case involving historic abuse allegations and DC Fyfe replied: "It would be highly unprofessional."

The trial before Sheriff Susan Sinclair continues.