Seven Scottish Child Abusers Receive Life Sentences

Police described the drug-addicted ring as perpetrators of some of the most horrific child abuse.

Seven Scottish individuals convicted of child sexual abuse received lengthy prison sentences for what authorities called monstrous crimes.

Following a trial at Glasgow’s High Court in November, six men and one woman were found guilty. Four, including the woman, were convicted of attempted murder by placing a child in a microwave; all seven were convicted of gang-raping a child. One man and the woman faced additional charges encompassing assault, sexual assault, rape, and forcing a child to consume drugs and alcohol.

Sentenced on Monday, the group, all heroin addicts in their 40s, received Orders for Lifelong Restriction. Parole eligibility ranges from nine to twenty years; post-release monitoring will continue for life.

Victims reported being given alcohol and cocaine, then subjected to “rape nights” at a Glasgow house, with some forced to abuse other children for the gang’s entertainment. Prosecutors stated the pedophiles claimed to be “witches and wizards” capable of summoning demons to intimidate children into compliance.

Judge Lord Beckett described the testimony as “unpleasant and shocking,” characterizing the perpetrators’ actions as reaching “the depths of human depravity.”

Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane told Sky News, “The depravity in this case is extremely rare in Scotland, and the victims’ bravery was crucial to securing these convictions.”

Matt Forde, a spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, commented to the British broadcaster, “There have been horrific cases over the years, but this is truly shocking. The public will struggle to comprehend children being subjected to such deliberate and appalling treatment, such horrendous abuse.”

Orders for Lifelong Restriction, rarely imposed in Scotland, are typically reserved for violent and sexual offenders. Release requires demonstration of no threat to the public.