Appeal for victims of abuse at Scottish residential school to come forward
Hundreds of women say they were subjected to harrowing physical and sexual abuse between the 1960s and 1990s.
Last updated 4th Sep 2024
Women who suffered alleged historic abuse at Fornethy House in Angus are stepping up their fight for an apology and compensation from Glasgow City Council.
They are starting a billboard campaign around the city looking for other child victims to come forward after years of physical and sexual abuse.
Kelly Burns was sent there in the late 1980s and told this station: "I was bullied because I couldn't stand up for myself and I always thought I had done something wrong.
"The memories are so painful that I thought they were all made up in my head while I was growing up.
"When the internet first began, I remember Googling 'Fornethy' and there was nothing there so I started to question if it was just a pretend term."
Children attended the residential school while it was open between 1961 and 1991 for around six weeks at a time.
Kellie Fox first stayed there when she was 5-years-old and remembers a culture of fear.
She said: "If you made eye contact with the teachers then you would be the next victim and if you weren't being picked on, you were watching other people either being beat or force-fed vomit or - I mean faces slammed into plates.
"My mum had no idea what was going on because children had no voice back then."
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "We understand that this process is upsetting for everyone involved and we will continue to work with all partners and our claims department continue to deal with claims."
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said she will also meet with those affected next week.
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