Arabic version: ثلاثة يتجنبون السجن بعد سنوات من إساءة معاملة أطفال
According to BBC News, a mother, grandmother and stepfather who abused three children over several years have avoided jail after sentencing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Shirley Freeman, 51, Julia Stephen, 69, and David McColl, 50, subjected the children to beatings, starvation and psychological torment between 2003 and 2012.
Freeman and Stephen were found guilty of cruel and unnatural treatment, while McColl admitted the crimes. Sheriff Craig Findlater said no sentence could “repair the awful childhoods” of the victims. Freeman received 18 months’ probation, 240 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month restriction of liberty order. Stephen was given 150 hours of unpaid work and 18 months’ probation. McColl received 220 hours of unpaid work, 18 months’ probation and an 11-month restriction of liberty order.
The abuse took place in Balloch, Dunbartonshire, and at a flat on Bedford Avenue in Aberdeen. A trial heard Freeman had created a “house of terror” for the children. Victims Rebekah Simpson, 23, and siblings William and Meaghann Murphy, now 25 and 28, described violence, deprivation of food, confinement and sleep deprivation. Meaghann said the cruelty had been present “from the get-go”, while William said family life had been chaotic, unpredictable and hostile.
Simpson said the abuse had had a lifelong effect on her mental and physical health, including mental health problems, a personality disorder diagnosis and substance misuse issues. She said she was not disappointed with the sentences, adding that not having to speak to the defendants again was justice for her. The siblings said they spoke publicly in the hope that their experiences could help others recognise signs of abuse.
Police Scotland began an investigation in 2022 after William made a statement. Alison McKenzie, procurator fiscal for Grampian, Highlands and Islands, said the three adults had knowingly and deliberately subjected the children to a horrific catalogue of mistreatment. Detective Inspector Kerry McCombie praised the victims for their bravery in bringing the case before the courts.
