Hearing set for five nuns accused of abuse at children’s homes

A further hearing has been set in the case of five nuns accused of historic abuse against several children.

Marie Docherty, 84, Mary Broderick, 84, Margaret McLafferty, 68, Kathleen McLean, 77, and Mary Doyle, 81, are named on an indictment which contains 108 charges.

The charges span 17 years with offences alleged to have taken place mainly at Nazareth House locations in Aberdeen and Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, between 1965 and 1982.

The indictment includes an allegation that Docherty forced a boy to consume spoiled food, striking him with a wooden stick, and forcing him to stand wearing soiled bedding and locking him in a room.

Another charge alleges Docherty pressed a hot iron onto a teenage girl’s hand and repeatedly struck her on her head and body and forced to lie in bed.

Docherty allegedly refused to provide another girl with food, causing her to faint.

The same girl also allegedly had soap forced into her mouth, which caused her to vomit.

The charges allege that her head was then pushed into the vomit, and she was instructed to eat it.

Other charges allege that Docherty, Broderick, and Doyle forced some children to kiss a corpse.

The indictment also includes allegations that children were punched, struck, kicked, force-fed, forced to stand while wearing soiled bedding or clothing and more.

A preliminary hearing took place at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday before Lord Renucci, who scheduled a further preliminary hearing for January 22 2027.

The court has provisionally set aside eight weeks for a trial starting on March 30 2027 in Glasgow.