A former nun has been imprisoned for a campaign of horrific abuse against vulnerable children at Catholic care homes in Scotland more than four decades ago.
Systematic Abuse Uncovered
Carol Buirds, 75, who was known as Sister Carmel Rose, received a 15-month prison sentence after a court found her guilty of 13 charges, which included assault to severe injury. Her depraved actions, which took place in the 1970s and early 1980s, involved rubbing urine-soaked bedding on children, forcing food and soap into their mouths, and locking one child in a cupboard. She also confined another youngster in a dark cellar without any water.
Prosecutors detailed how Buirds repeatedly assaulted children, often using implements such as a belt, a wooden ruler, and a stick. The offences occurred at two homes run by the Catholic order Sisters of Nazareth in Lasswade, Midlothian, and Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The victims were aged between five and 14 at the time.
Co-Abusers Face Sentencing
Two other women were also sentenced for their part in the historic offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Eileen McElhinney, 78, formerly Sister Mary Eileen, was convicted of five charges. Her cruel behaviour included violently assaulting young children, forcing them to stand in cold showers and sit in freezing baths, and hitting one child on the buttocks with a hairbrush. She also used a metal comb on a boy, continuing despite his pain.
Dorothy Kane, 68, a former support worker, was found guilty of two charges for cruel and unnatural treatment. Her actions included repeatedly grabbing a boy by the hair, restraining him with her knees, and locking another child in a cupboard. The court heard she also failed to intervene when other staff assaulted children.
Justice Delivered After Decades
McElhinney, of Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, was given a 12-month probation order, 240 hours of unpaid work, and a nine-month curfew from 4pm to midnight. Kane, of Lasswade, received a community service order requiring 150 hours of unpaid work to be completed within nine months.
During the trial, both McElhinney and Kane denied striking children with implements or having knowledge of a so-called “punishment book.” Kane told police she “couldn’t remember” and claimed she would have intervened had she witnessed punishment.
Prosecutor Faith Currie stated: “Carol Buirds, Eileen McElhinney and Dorothy Kane were entrusted with the care of vulnerable children but instead betrayed that trust, inflicting lasting harm. These offences reflect the sustained and systematic abuse over an extended period.”
One survivor powerfully described her time at Nazareth House as living in constant “fear.” She said, “Today, seeing the handcuffs on the woman who abused me felt right. Today I have been heard.”
Solicitors representing multiple survivors said the sentences reflect the “seriousness of the sustained and cruel treatment inflicted on young residents more than 40 years ago.”
