Patricia Robertson, the Fornethy House Child Abuser, a perverted teacher, has been found guilty of the previous maltreatment of 18 girls at a defunct residential institution.
Patricia Robertson, 77, perpetrated assaults and humiliation against minors during her tenure at Fornethy House in Angus. The offences occurred over a period of 15 years, from 1969 to 1984.
Patricia Robertson refuted the allegations at a trial at the High Court in Glasgow but was found guilty of 18 counts of cruel and unnatural treatment of minors.
The sentence for the first perpetrator was postponed until December. Judge Lord Colbeck approved her bail.
The court was informed that Patricia Robertson’s victims had been placed at the residential school for “temporary respite” from their families.
The teacher coerced, assaulted, and degraded the girls.
One survivor told jurors, “I just wanted to curl up like a wee baby.
“I still do not understand how an adult could be like that.”
Patricia Robertson acknowledged employing a “strong voice” when interacting with the girls, although she maintained that she was neither aggressive nor had engaged in bullying behaviour.
Fornethy House was administered by two former local governing bodies, Glasgow Corporation and Strathclyde Regional Council.
The facility ceased operations in 1993 and has remained unoccupied since then.
It was purported to provide “convalescent care” for girls aged five to twelve for a duration of up to eight weeks.
The trial received testimonies from several former inhabitants regarding the rule in that location.
One of the victims recounted being coerced into consuming semolina, which she found difficult to ingest.
The witness said, “I remember Patricia Robertson was over at the other table, and she came over to me shouting and bawling. She was saying: ‘You need to eat. It is good for you.
“The next minute, I got my hair pulled back, and the spoon was put down my throat. She just would not let go.”
The woman said she was then made to stand in a corner of the room facing away from others.
She remembers this sort of incident would “happen to everyone”.
The victim also said she was assaulted during a later stay at Fornethy House while helping to scrub floors.
She was pulled back and forward “like a rag doll” before ending up on the floor on her knees.
The woman recalled: “I just wanted my mum.” She said she was beaten for “trying to do a good job”.
Another survivor described the atmosphere at Fornethy House as “scary, cold, unloved”.
She added, “You would be able to write letters (for family), but only what they dictated and you had to copy that.”
The woman said she was “scared” to report any incidents at the time.
Many other girls suffered similar ordeals.
Patricia Robertson assaulted a young girl who was slapped, punched, and had a blackboard duster thrown at her.
Another youngster was positioned over Patricia Robertson’s knee and struck on her exposed buttocks.
Patricia Robertson, currently residing in Essex, testified during the trial and refuted all allegations.
A substantial assembly of women impacted by the abuse at Fornethy House attended court for the verdict.
There were shouts of “Yes” as the guilty verdicts were read out.
Patricia Robertson will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow in December.
Thompsons Solicitors, the law firm which represents 218 people who say they were affected by the events at Fornethy House, welcomed the news of Patricia Robertson’s conviction.
Partner Laura Connor said it was a “watershed moment” for their clients.
“We have heard them in court and also heard of the positive impact their testimony had on other survivors,” she said.
“Today’s conviction is a crucial milestone in a long fight for truth and accountability.
“Our clients have spoken of their happiness and relief at finally being heard and believed.”
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