Three Nuns Sentenced for 1970s Abuse in Scotland

Three former nuns – Carol Buirds (75, Wallsend), Eileen McElhinney (78, Bishopbriggs) – and Dorothy Kane (68, Lasswade) were convicted for cruel abuse at Nazareth House children’s homes in Lasswade, Midlothian, and Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, between 1972 and 1981. The case was heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in November 2025, and on 15 January 2026 the trio received sentences: Buirds, jailed for 15 months; McElhinney, a 12‑month probation order with 240 hours unpaid work and curfew 4 pm‑midnight; Kane, a community‑service order of 150 hours unpaid work. The abusers used belts, rulers, sticks, and even locked victims in cupboards, forcing them into cold showers and unsanitary conditions. Victims, then aged five to 14, reported lasting PTSD and other injuries. Buirds faced 13 counts, including eight of cruel and unnatural treatment, and McElhinney faced five charges. The trial highlighted the use of belts, wooden rulers, and even hairbrushes to inflict pain.