Fornethy House survivors protest outside Glasgow City Chambers

As they chanted 'no justice, no peace' over George Square, the Fornethy house residential school survivors demanded the council 'hold their hands up' and release the women's medical records as legal proof that they attended the residential school. 

It comes after we previously reported that hundreds of women, who were sent to Fornethy House in Kilry, Perth & Kinross as children, were allegedly force-fed, beaten, emotionally abused and sexually assaulted.

Speaking at this morning's demonstration, survivor Carol Robertson said: "We're here today to push Glasgow City Council's buttons.

"We want them to release our records of the years we were all in Fornethy where we were physically and mentally abused for the weeks we were there.

"The records will prove we were at Fornethy and will give the lawyers the proof they need for an upcoming trial. 

"We don't even know who sent us and we want answers."

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Kelly Burns, another survivor of Fornethy House, added: "We're here today because want to see justice. 

"Glasgow City Council need to put their hands up and admit what happened to us because it's not just a tiny thing that happened.

"If it was all reported in the 1960s and 70s, then it wouldn't have happened to me in 1987. 

"I'm really angry and they need to hold their hands up now and say they failed us." 

The convalescent school ran between the 1960s and 1990s and was gifted to Glasgow City Council, then known as the Glasgow Corporation, in 1961.

It was later taken over by the Strathclyde Regional Council (SRC) education department and used as a "place to offer short breaks in the country to girls in SRC schools."

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At today's protest, Marion Reid, who founded the Fornethy House Residential School Survivors, presented a letter to the city chambers as a written demand for the council to release the women's medical records.

It comes after a spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said that because the files were classified as education records, they were only required to be kept for five years.

Marion told the Glasgow Times: "All our files are missing and we will continue to do what we are doing to get them.

"We won't be giving up, no way. But, we shouldn't need to do this.

"The council should be acknowledging child abuse but they aren't. It is way down in their priority list as we have found out with Fornethy."

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “We are doing everything we can and understand how upsetting this situation must be.

"Council officers have been helping police with their enquiries and our claims department continues to deal with claims.”

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth added: “The many stories I’ve listened to from the Fornethy Survivors Group are utterly heartbreaking and horrific and I pay tribute to their remarkable bravery for continuing to fight for justice.

“To date, not one of the perpetrators of that abuse has been fully brought to justice and the women need answers.

"We are beginning to make some progress with the Scottish Government appointing a researcher to seek to identify what records may still exist within the council.

“But these women should not have to fight for answers the council and Government should have given them long before now".

To find out more information or to contact the Fornethy House Residential School Survivors, click HERE