Nun 'slapped' girl for singing

Sister Alphonso faces 22 charges

A court has heard that a child was slapped by a nun for singing a pop song.

Isabella Tedder, 42, said she was 10 at the time of the alleged incident.

She told Aberdeen Sheriff Court she remembered singing Puppet on a String while on a bus going to school.

The charges

Marie Docherty faces 22 charges, all of which are denied

The charges date from 1965 to 1980

They include - forcing girls to kiss dead nuns

Punching, slapping and kicking girls

Forcing girls to wear soiled underwear

The trial is expected to last up to six weeks

Sister Alphonso called out her name and ordered her to stop singing, Mrs Tedder said.

She said the nun then started slapping her on the face.

Mrs Tedder also told the court Sister Alphonso had slapped her when she tried to speak to her brother while they were waiting for a school bus.

She had also witnessed her slapping a girl who was suffering an epileptic fit.

Marie Docherty, who is also known as Sister Alphonso, denies 22 charges of cruel and unnatural treatment towards girls at Nazareth House homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian.

The trial continues.