Members of the Fornethy House Survivors Group today (Wednesday 7 June) met with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to urge them to get answers to their questions over the horrific abuse that took place against them and the other children who were sent Fornethy House in the 1960s and 70s.

The meeting was arranged by South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth, who accompanied the women as they shared their plight with Humza Yousaf and Shona Robison.

Hundreds of survivors have come forward to tell their stories of a catalogue of abuse by staff at Fornethy House near Kirriemuir in Angus when it was owned and run by the local council in Glasgow between 1960 and 1993.

The meeting today followed on from the debate Colin Smyth secured on the issue in the Scottish Parliament last month where Shona Robison gave a commitment to meet with the survivors, as well as a question from the MSP to Humza Yousaf during First Ministers Questions when he also committed to meet with the women.

The women were informed at the meeting that the Scottish Government were in the process of appointing an independent “archivist” to explore what records were available within Glasgow City Council on the background to the women being sent to Fornethy House when it was owned by the then Glasgow Corporation.

The move follows concerns raised by the women that the records had been destroyed and as a result, they will never know the reasons why they were sent to Fornethy House. This week the Leader of Glasgow City Council wrote back to the Deputy First Minister indicating the Council would now fully assist the work to scrutinise the records.

During today’s meeting the women also asked that a public apology be made to all Fornethy Survivors by Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to recognise and acknowledge that the abuse took place.

The women also expressed their concerns at the lack of information from the Police and prosecutors in response to the Police complaints many women had now made against the perpetrators and the lack of progress made to bring those responsible to justice. To date just one person has so far appeared in court, but many of the perpetrators had died since complaints were made against them to Police several years ago.

Fornethy Survivor Marion Reid from Carluke, who co-founded the Fornethy House Residential School survivors group attended the meeting today. Marion said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to meet with Humza Yousaf and Shona Robison and to put our questions to them.

“Everytime we have a meeting, we have to relive what happened when we were sent to Fornethy as wee girls and that isn’t easy. However, we are determined to get answers for the sake of all those survivors who have had to live with the trauma and scars of Fornethy.

“Our message to the First Minister was clear. Get us the answers to our questions over why we were sent to Fornethy and ensure what happened is properly and publicly acknowledged, so we can begin to get closure and move on with our lives”.

Marion’s local MSP Colin Smyth said, “I hope this meeting is another step forward in getting the answers these women need and deserve.

“We will never be able to erase the trauma they were subjected to at Fornethy when they were just little girls. But I hope we can ensure that these brave survivors have what happened to them properly acknowledged. That does mean a public apology from the Government and Glasgow City Council.

“We also need justice. To date, just one person has been brought to court and Glasgow City Council have done little to explain why there are so few records about Fornethy or why these children were chosen to be sent there in the first place. That needs to change.”

Colin will be accompanying Marion and other survivors to Fornethy House on 26 June.