A foster carer who abused four children – including by falsely telling a girl her mother was dead – has been jailed.
Yvonne Keenan, 56, subjected her victims to a catalogue of abuse at addresses in Glasgow between 1994 and 2004.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said one boy was forced to eat cat food as a punishment after he “touched a button” in the kitchen.
The same youngster was regularly locked in his bedroom and was made to stand in the corner of a room, facing a wall for hours at a time.
A second child was physically abused by Keenan and was not allowed to sit on furniture in the home.
COPFS said Keenan punished the girl by cutting off her hair, and on one occasion made her stand outside in the garden after locking the property’s back door.
A court heard how the abuser would not feed the girl and a younger child, regularly sending them to bed hungry.
During one incident, the girl scraped paint off a ceiling and fed it to the younger child, who was crying from hunger, as she did not know what else to do.
COPFS said Keenan also falsely told the girl her mother was dead.
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A third child was threatened and subjected to physical violence if he did not get home from school within 15 minutes.
She shouted and screamed at the boy on a daily basis and made degrading remarks about a member of his family.
The child was also not fed properly and made to stand facing the wall as a punishment.
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Keenan also physically abused a fourth child, who was left living in fear over several years.
The accused was described as a “disciplinarian” and an “angry monster” by some of her victims, who are all now adults.
Keenan last month pleaded guilty to four charges of cruel and unnatural treatment.
She returned to Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday, where she was sentenced to 32 months in jail.
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Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said: “Yvonne Keenan 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 victims reporting their experience and giving evidence that this prosecution has been made possible.”
‘Horrific case’
The NSPCC urged all those who had suffered similar abuse to speak out and seek support.
A spokesperson from the children’s charity told Sky News: “These children were placed in Keenan’s care to be kept safe and well.
“Instead, she totally abused her position of trust, subjecting them to almost unimaginable cruelty, abuse and neglect.
“The victims in this horrific case have shown immense bravery in speaking out and helping ensure Keenan has finally been made to face justice for her terrible crimes.
“It is now vital that all those who suffered at her hands have access to the support they need to move forwards with their lives.”
