In Scotland alone there are approximately 600+ claims pending against the Catholic Church & Nazareth House homes of alleged abuses carried out by The Poor Sisters of Nazareth that is in Scotland alone, here in the United Kingdom so it does show in my opinion the level of alleged fear and intimidation carried out throughout these homes...

It has been approximately 7 years now since the first case against Nazareth House and the Catholic Church came to court and Sister Alphonso=Marie Docherty was found GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE. The sentence handed down to Sister Alphonso=Marie Docherty was one of admonishment this to me as a survivor of abuse is just utterly disgusting and appalling in my opinion and 

WE WERE DENIED JUSTICE GIVEN TO US IN THAT COURTROOM WE THE FORMER NAZARETH HOUSE CHILDREN WHY?. 

We the former children who were in these homes of which I was one when Sister Alphonso was there are absolutely appalled and sickened we were all speechless and devastated when this sentence was handed down there was disbelief there were many tears shed there was shock and horror at such a disgusting verdict.

What did that sentence say to all of us former children from Nazareth House? It said to all of us who suffered abuse, "Why bother as no one listens to us no one cares as we are full of anguish and pain just like when we were such innocent small children the powers that be do not give a damn what happened to all of us and again we are being ignored yet once again and our abusers walk off scott free." ...

Surely the first thing after that court case who found Sister Alphonso=Marie Docherty guilty of Child Abuse should have been a public and personal apology to all of us from the Catholic Church and Nazareth House who suffered horrendous abuse at Nazareth House as innocent children growing up.

But NO they never even had the decency to apologise to all of us who grew up in these brutal sadistic and vindictive homes.

My question to them is

WHY? WHY? WHY?

We need the healing process to start for all of us former forgotten children from Nazareth House Homes we need acknowledgement from you all we are telling the truth, we need you to take responsibility for your abusive actions upon many of us why won't you?...

THIS LACK OF APOLOGY FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND NAZARETH HOUSE TO THE VERY MANY OF US FORMER CHILDREN WHO SUFFERED ABUSE AT THEIR HANDS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND THIS IS WHY I HAVE DECIDED TO TELL MY PERSONAL STORY OF MY LIFE GROWING UP IN THESE MONSTROUS AND VERY BRUTAL HELLHOLE HOMES...

THE TRIAL OF SISTER ALPHONSO ALSO KNOWN AS MARIE DOCHERTY FROM NAZARETH HOUSE STARTS ON 06/04/1999. THIS INFORMATION I HAVE TAKEN FROM A SCOTTISH REPORT...

UK THE TRIAL REPORTS
********************

06/04/99-Nun charged with child abuse

Sister Alphonso faces 23 charges of cruelty

A nun has appeared in court charged with child abuse at children's homes run by the Catholic Church. Sister Alphonso - alias Marie Docherty - is accused of cruelty against 23 girls between 1962 and 1980.

The charges, presented at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, allege child abuse at Nazareth House bases in Aberdeen and Midlothian.

It has been alleged that the children, aged between two and 17, were subjected to cruel and unnatural treatment.

Sister Alphonso denies the 23 allegations on indictment, including beating girls with hairbrushes, toys and cutlery, dragging them by the hair, and force-feeding them, all causing injury.

Case postponed

Sheriff Alexander Pollock granted a defence motion to postpone the case until later this year.

The Poor Sisters of Nazareth ran children's homes in Glasgow and Lanarkshire as well as in Aberdeen and Midlothian.

The Aberdeen Nazareth base, which is given as Sister Alphonso's address, was founded in 1872 and at one time housed more than 300 children.

It became an old people's home in 1982, caring mainly for elderly women...

A report of the court case taken from a Scottish paper on the first day of trial proceedings....

I was placed into care at Nazareth House Cardonald Glasgow from the age of two until I was eleven and then I was placed into care at Aberdeen from the age of eleven until I was fifteen and while I resided at Aberdeen Sister Alphonso was there and yes I suffered child abuse at Glasgow and Aberdeen....

16/10/00-Nuns named in claims

Nazareth House in Aberdeen

Fifty nuns have been named in compensation claims from former residents of Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian. The cases have been formally lodged at the Court of Session following the conviction last month of Sister Marie Docherty on four charges of cruel and unnatural treatment.

Men and women allege they were abused while children in care at the homes between the 1940s and 1970s.

Marie Docherty:
(Sister Alphonso)
Admonished

Their lawyer, Glasgow-based Cameron Fyfe, expects the first of 11 test cases to be heard late next summer against the Sisters of Nazareth, the Roman Catholic order of nuns which ran the homes....

We the former children from Nazareth House are still waiting and it is now 22/11/01....

WHY? DOES IT TAKE SO SO LONG TO HAVE OUR HEARING IN THE COURTS???

I JUST ASK WHY HAS IT ALL SUDDENLY GONE QUIET ON THE NAZARETH HOUSE FRONT??? AND THE PRESS DO NOT SEEM INTERESTED ANY MORE IN THE NAZARETH HOUSE PLIGHT!!! EVEN THEY HAVE GONE MYSTERIOUSLY QUIET ON THE WHOLE SUBJECT!!!

WHY?...

THE ANSWER WE WERE GIVEN WHEN THREE OF US VICTIMS/SURVIVORS WROTE TO EVERY SINGLE NEWSPAPER IN THIS COUNTRY WAS THIS THAT THEY HAD GIVEN US PUBLICITY. I DO NOT DISPUTE THIS FACT THAT YES THERE WAS PUBLICITY GIVEN WHEN THE COURT TRIAL TOOK PLACE BUT SINCE THEN ALL WENT MYSTERIOUSLY QUIET ALL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE IN THE PRESS MEDIA ETC HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME PERSONALLY TO HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER AND REVEAL THE TRUE HORRORS OF WHAT I SUFFERED FROM ABUSE OF MY TIME SPENT IN NAZARETH HOUSE ORPHANAGES JUST HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW DEVASTATING AS A FAMILY WHAT WE ALL WENT THROUGH?

The order could end up having to pay out millions of pounds if the claims are successful. Mr Fyfe said some of the 50 nuns named in the claims faced being sued individually and action could be taken against at least four local authorities in Scotland if it can be proved they failed to monitor adequately the care of children they sent to the homes.

Sister Marie Docherty was found guilty of four charges of cruel behaviour toward girls in her care at the homes during the 1960s. and 1970s. Sheriff Colin Harris decided that, because of her age and heart condition, a custodial sentence was not appropriate.

Instead, he admonished her, provoking an angry reaction from the former residents she had been convicted of ill-treating...

SO FAR TO DATE WE THE FORMER CHILDREN FROM NAZARETH HOUSE HOMES HAVE NOT HAD AN APOLOGY FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OR NAZARETH HOUSE

WHY?!!!

SURELY THEY OWE US THAT AT LEAST FOR THE HORRENDOUS ABUSE SUFFERED BY VERY MANY OF US WHO ARE NOW ADULTS...

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S LACK OF COMPASSION AND SILENCE IN THIS ISSUE IS JUST TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE TO US ALL...

I am forty eight years old as at the year 2000, I am married and have been for many years and a mother of one beautiful daughter and a grandmother of six beautiful grandchildren the latest new arrival born on the 7th December 2001 a little girl her name is Charlotte Nicole and she weighed in at 8lbs 3ozs and is so beautiful....I do adore each and every one of them...

I am employed as a Senior Customer Service Officer and I am the overall supervisor on the site where I work...

I am responsible for six member's of staff and I would like to think I am a fair supervisor in all the decision's I handle....I believe that the key to obtaining the best from the staff that you are responsible for is communication and also treating your staff with respect and taking an interest in them as individual people that means you are interested in them as a person as well as work issues...I believe the above helps to gel everyone to work together as a team which is essential in our line of work...

I have now changed my job and I am a civil servant working as an administration assistant

I grew up in Scotland in Glasgow from two weeks old until I was fifteen and at eleven I went to Aberdeen Scotland from eleven until I was fifteen and then to Liverpool in England until I was seventeen and a half then down to London and I now live in the Midland's area and my older sister lives in the London area...

I have one older sister who is four years older than I am and is one very special sister who means the world to me because when I was in the first Nazareth House home when I reached the age of five we were together and she always endeavoured to protect me whenever she could very difficult it was at times and her loyalty knew no bounds always a comforting hug and hand when she could without being caught by the nuns if she was caught she would be in very deep trouble for giving me comfort...

I have set up my own website to tell of my appalling childhood growing up in care in Nazareth House homes both in Glasgow and Aberdeen in Scotland UK...

I was abused very physically, emotionally, and psychologically these homes where run by Catholic Nuns of the order The Poor Sisters of Nazareth and I am endeavouring to obtain an apology from the Catholic Church for all former children who were systematically abused while in their "care" at these Nazareth House Homes...

I do hope when you have read my story that you will sign my petition/guest-book to support me in my goal to obtain an apology for all Nazareth House former children who were abused in these appalling homes.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S LACK OF COMPASSION AND SILENCE IN THIS ISSUE IS DEAFENING TO SAY THE LEAST AND SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR SURE AND TOTALLY DISGUSTING IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND THEIR SILENCE DOES LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED IN MY OPINION. THEIR SILENCE IN THIS MATTER SPEAKS MANY VOLUMES TO US ALL THE FORGOTTEN FORMER CHILDREN FROM NAZARETH HOUSE HOMES...

BUT BE WARNED WE WILL NEVER EVER STAY SILENT EVER AGAIN ABOUT THE ABUSE WE ALL ENDURED BY YOU SO CALLED BRIDES OF CHRIST

IT IS NOW SEVEN YEARS APPROXIMATELY SINCE THE SISTER ALPHONSO=MARIE DOCHERTY TRIAL AND CONVICTION  WERE SHE WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE

I ASK YOU ALL THE POWERS THAT BE OUT THERE HOW LONG MUST WE WAIT TO HEAR NAZARETH HOUSE AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH APOLOGISE TO US ALL AND STOP BEING IN DENIAL OF THE WORLDWIDE SCALE OF ABUSE AT NAZARETH HOUSE ORPHANAGES

THAT IN MY OPINION WAS SYSTEMATIC ABUSE ALTHOUGH NAZARETH HOUSE ALSO DENY THIS

WHY? 

FOR GOD'S SAKE JUST HOW LONG???

IS THIS NOT A BASIC HUMAN COMPASSIONATE AND RIGHT THING TO DO WHEN YOU CALL YOURSELVES CHRISTIANS IS THIS CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR NOT VERY CHRISTIAN LIKE IS IT TO DENY THE TRUTH TO NOT APOLOGISE TO NOT GIVE US THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN OF NAZARETH HOUSE A SENSE OF CLOSURE FOR OUR ABUSE AND TO LET OUR HEALING COMMENCE

I ASK YOU ALL ISN'T THE ABOVE THE COMPASSIONATE THING TO DO? INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO LET US ALL SUFFER IN OUR CONTINUED TORMENT AND PAIN OUT HERE IN THE WORLD 

JUST WHY DON'T YOU JUST DO THE DECENT HUMAN THING AND APOLOGISE TO US ALL?

WHY? WHY? WHY?

IN FACT ISN'T IT A CHRISTIAN THING TO DO TO APOLOGISE TO US ALL AFTER ALL AREN'T YOU MEN AND WOMEN OF THE CLOTH? AND SO CALLED CHRISTIANS WHERE IS YOUR COMPASSION AND INDEED HAVE ANY OF YOU ANY CONSCIENCE AT ALL I WONDER?

 HAVE YOU???

HOW LONG BEFORE WE HEAR AN APOLOGY TO US? GOOD GRIEF IT IS THE LEAST NAZARETH HOUSE & THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CAN DO IS IT NOT?SURELY WE DESERVE THIS MUCH IT IS DOWNRIGHT APPALLING, DISGUSTING AND UNACCEPTABLE TO US ALL WHO WERE ABUSED BY YOU IN NAZARETH HOUSE ORPHANAGES AROUND THE WORLD  

GRRRRRRRR:(

ON BEHALF OF THE MANY FORMER CHILDREN OF NAZARETH HOUSE HOMES WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US WHO HAVE FOUND A MORE QUIETER PEACEFUL PLACE TO REST THEIR VERY WEARY HEADS THEIR VOICES TOO DO NEED TO BE HEARD  ALSO, WITH AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & AN APOLOGY GIVEN TO US ALL SURELY THIS IS A BASIC HUMAN & JUST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT !!!

Maria

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