A woman has been found guilty of a string of historic child abuse charges.
Former nursery owner Sheila Davies went on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court this week, charged with assaulting children as young as four at her home between 1993 and 2001.
The 59-year-old was yesterday found guilty of six charges, and will be sentenced later this month.
Last night, one of her victims said she had carried the abuse around with her for 22 years and called for her to be jailed.
Davies previously ran All Stars Nursery on Don Street, but was banned from working with children in 2007 after an inspection revealed youngsters were being force fed out-of-date food.
And yesterday, she was found guilty of attacking six youngsters aged between four and 12 between June 1993 and September 2001 at an address on Stornoway Crescent.
She slapped children the head, force fed them and dragging one out of a bunk bed.
One victim, who went to stay with Davies when she was four, admitted last night she wishes she had spoken out sooner as she could have protected other youngsters.
She said: “I have felt guilty for the last 22 years that I haven’t said anything to the authorities, because if I did say something maybe I could have put a stop to it.
“The police came to me and said that there was a public investigation going on and they were going round a lot of people that were in her care.
“I thought about it for three days and I felt guilty.
“I thought I was the only one, I did not think it was this serious.
“She has got to go to prison for this.”
She added: “The way I gave my statement it was like I was writing down a memory.
“You never forget someone who hits you, my mum never hit me to discipline me.
“She was the first person to ever lay her hands on me.”
DC Jason Moore of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit , who led enquiries, said: “We welcome the conviction today of Davies, who subjected her victims to a horrendous course of physical and emotional abuse.
“The consequences of such behaviour can have a lasting, devastating impact on those involved however I hope this conviction encourages people to have belief that these crimes are taken seriously by police – no matter how long ago they occurred – and that we make every effort to bring offenders to court.
“If you have been a victim or are worried for the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person, please report your concerns – your information could help to protect a child at risk of harm.
“No matter how historic your report is your concerns will always be taken seriously and treated sensitively.”
Davies, of Stornoway Crescent, Aberdeen, will be sentenced on June 26.
