Sharon Cruden expresses outrage over the court’s leniency towards her abusive teacher from childhood.
A survivor from the notorious Fornethy Residential School, often referred to as the ‘House of Horrors’, has openly criticized the decision to spare her abuser jail time.
Patricia Robertson, aged 77, was convicted on 18 counts of cruel and unnatural treatment spanning from 1969 to 1984. Despite the severity of her crimes, she was not sentenced to prison time by the Glasgow High Court this past Wednesday.
The charges against Robertson detail a series of abusive actions including punishing children for bed-wetting, force-feeding them, banging their heads together, and dragging them by the hair.
Robertson, who has been labeled a “shameful monster”, marks the first staff member from the all-girls’ school in Angus to be convicted relating to these historical abuse claims. It’s believed that other accused staff members have since died.
Judge Lord Colbeck acknowledged that Robertson’s crimes were severe enough to warrant imprisonment. However, he mentioned that imprisonment is generally reserved as a last resort for those who have not previously been incarcerated, suggesting no suitable alternative in this instance.
Instead, Robertson was placed under probation with a three-year supervision order and a curfew restricting her to her home between 3pm and midnight for the next year. Additionally, she was ordered to pay each of her 18 victims £1,000 as compensation.
Sharon Cruden, now 60, who endured repeated abuse during her six-week stay at the school in 1974, shared her disappointment and disgust with the court’s decision. Promised a “summer holiday”, she instead faced beatings, force-feeding, and humiliation at just nine years old.
In an interview, Cruden condemned Robertson as an “evil witch” and expressed her disbelief that Robertson was not sentenced to prison, arguing that the trauma inflicted upon her warranted a life sentence. Cruden also raised concerns about the discouraging message this decision might send to other victims of historic abuse.
Throughout her trial, Robertson maintained her innocence, claiming the accusers were motivated by potential financial gain. Lord Colbeck dismissed these claims as “frankly absurd”, recognizing the vulnerability of the victims, many of whom were impoverished and saw the school stay as what they believed would be an adventurous break.
The trial revealed harrowing accounts of Robertson’s abuse tactics, including force-feeding a nine-year-old until she vomited, binding an 11-year-old to a bed to beat her, and subjecting children to sleep in soiled bedding as punishment for bedwetting.
Many victims who were present during the sentencing voiced their outrage, calling the judgment “disgusting” and a “joke”. They highlighted Robertson’s lack of remorse and the lasting impact her cruelty had on their lives.
Lord Colbeck’s sentencing remarks underscored the cruelty and sadistic nature of Robertson’s behavior, equating the lifelong impact on her victims to a “life sentence” of trauma.
Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook emphasized that Robertson’s actions should have been nurturing, not harmful. She reiterated that such abuse was always unacceptable. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Judicial Office for Scotland defended the sentence, stating that judges carefully consider each case’s unique factors and appropriate sentencing guidelines.
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Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
