Fresh court order imposed for Quarrier's child abuse OAP

A jury returned majority guilty verdicts against Euphemia Ramsay in August on two charges of cruel and unnatural treatment towards a pair of primary school-aged victims at Quarrier's Village in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The 77-year-old retired 'house parent', who was known as 'Auntie Effie' and had been allocated a cottage in which to care for the youngsters, repeatedly punched and kicked one child on his head and body, struck him with a slipper and spat in his face.

She also forced the male victim, who was aged between five and six at the time, to bathe in cold water, sleep on a concrete floor in an outhouse in his nightwear, and left him alone in the cottage as a form of punishment for not completing tasks she had set.

Euphemia Ramsay (Image: NQ)

On occasions when the child had wet the bed, Ramsay forced him to remove his nightwear and stand naked in front of other residents, while she withheld meals as punishment.

She also instructed an unknown member of staff to force food she knew the victim disliked into his mouth, causing him to choke.

READ MORE: Care worker 'force-fed and humiliated children at residential home', trial hears

Ramsay seized a female child, who was aged eight to 10 at the time, by the body and forced her on to a table before instructing another person to force feed her.

She also struck the second child with a shoe to her injury.

Sentencing the OAP to an alternative to custody in September, Sheriff James Varney told her: “These two children were placed in your care and you abused your position of trust.

“It is only through their courage and strength that they came forward and spoke out after living a life of shame and trauma.

“I hope the victims in this case take comfort from the fact that the jury believed them and not you.”

A community payback order review hearing this week was told there had been problems fitting an electronic monitoring device at Ramsay's Isle of Man home to allow her to comply with a curfew and tag requirement.

READ MORE: Cruel pensioner avoids jail for historic child abuse at Quarrier's Village

Ramsay has completed 36 of 300 unpaid work hours imposed, having started at a hospice warehouse at the end of November.

Sheriff James Varney imposed a fresh community payback order with 21 months of supervision and 7pm to 7am curfew restrictions as a conduct requirement for nine months.

She must complete the remaining 264 hours of unpaid work within the next year and a further review hearing will take place on March 13.

Quarrier's Village (Image: Newsquest)

It is the second time she has been convicted of ill-treating youngsters, after a 2006 court case found she had meted out repeated beatings to children with a wooden shoe at Quarrier's between December 1968 and February 1972.

Earlier this year, her defence solicitor said Ramsay ‘continues to deny any involvement’ in the other offences but ‘does accept the verdict of the jury’.

READ MORE: Cruel OAP meted out twisted abuse on primary school-aged children in her 'care'

Sheriff Varney described a pre-sentencing background report presented to the court as ‘appalling’ and said Ramsay’s attempts to blame other people were a ‘disgrace’.

He told her she had shown no remorse or empathy, and that she failed to provide ‘protection, guidance, safety and wellbeing’ for the children placed in her care.

One of the victims - now a retired police officer - wept as she told Ramsay's trial at Greenock Sheriff Court: “They are memories I wish I didn’t have.

“Auntie Effie was meant to care for and look after us and she just completely abused that trust.

“It would’ve been easier for me not to be here today.”