Mother, grandmother and stepfather sentenced for 'house of terror' abuse
Three family members in Scotland have been sentenced to community-based orders after being convicted of abusing three children between 2003 and 2012. The victims described the environment as a 'house of terror' where violence was normalized.
Why it matters
The case highlights the long-term psychological impact of childhood abuse and has sparked public discussion regarding the adequacy of sentencing for severe domestic cruelty.
Image caption, Meaghann and William Murphy told how they were abused as young children
A mother, grandmother and stepfather who subjected three children to years of abuse in a "house of terror" have avoided jail.
Shirley Freeman, Julia Stephen and David McColl's victims were beaten, starved and psychologically tormented between 2003 and 2012.
Freeman, 51, and Stephen, 69, were earlier found guilty of cruel and unnatural treatment. McColl, 50, admitted the crimes.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff Craig Findlater said no sentence could "repair the awful childhoods" of the trio's victims.
Warning: This article contains descriptions of child abuse
Two of their victims, William and Meaghan Murphy, who are now 25 and 28, told BBC Scotland News the violence and cruelty they experienced as children became their normal reality.
Image caption, Shirley Freeman was found guilty of cruel and unnatural treatment
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