How Could You? Hall of Shame-Scotland-Angela Hassan

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

This is a 2024 case.

From Motherwell, North Lanarkshire,Scotland, “a “sadistic’ foster carer who subjected vulnerable children to a campaign of abuse has been spared jail.

Angela Hassan, 78, was employed to look after children at her home in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but would regularly erupt into violent outbursts which left those in her care terrified.

One girl, who lived with Hassan between the ages of 11 and 16, was repeatedly punched on the head and body and had her head struck on a wall.

Hassan also left the girl feeling humiliated by forcing her to throw used sanitary towels into a coal fire.

A boy who stayed with Hassan between the ages of five and 12 was battered with a belt and hit with a slipper. During one outburst, Hassan pinned the boy down and repeatedly struck his body with a branch from a rose bush.

She also grabbed hold of him and forced food into his mouth and then later embarrassed him because he had wet his bed.

A second girl, who stayed with Hassan between the ages of seven and 18, was repeatedly hit on the body and told she did not need sanitary products.

Hassan, of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, denied any wrongdoing between 1971 and 1990 and went on trial at Hamilton sheriff court.

Jurors took an hour to convict her of three charges of cruel and unnatural treatment. Sheriff Michael Higgins ordered her to perform 300 hours of unpaid work and placed her under supervision for 15 months as a “direct alternative” to prison.

One woman, now aged 52, told the court she did not feel loved while living with Hassan. “We didn’t get any love and I never felt that I was loved by her,” she said. “I thought I was a good kid but that was not reciprocated because we just never felt accepted.” In a statement given to police about the abuse, the woman said: “She was quite sadistic.”

Hassan’s offending was discovered following police inquiries into allegations of child abuse at Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark. The court heard one victim had spent time at the notorious orphanage before being sent to live with Hassan.

Hassan, then known as Angela Deeney, repeatedly denied abusing the children and said she was looking after up to eight children at a time even when her marriage was breaking down.

Stephen Hughes, advocate for the defence, said: “This behaviour is very much at the lower end of the scale and I would invite the court to impose a non-custodial sentence.”

Sheriff Higgins said: “The charges which the jury found you guilty of are serious offences involving the cruel and unnatural treatment of children in your care.

“Your behaviour was repeated and took place over a number of years while you were a foster carer of children who were entitled to be treated properly and humanely and to live in a safe environment.”

Two other alleged abuse charges were dropped during the trial.

Les Brown, the procurator fiscal for South Strathclyde, said: “Angela Hassan exploited her position of trust to abuse vulnerable young people, who should have been safe in her care.

“Instead, she inflicted unimaginable trauma through her violent and cruel offending over a significant number of years.

“It is thanks to the bravery and strength of the victims giving evidence that this conviction has been made possible.””

‘Sadistic’ foster carer who abused children spared jail

[The Times 11/16/24 by David Meickle]

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