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VICTIMS FURY as "Beast of Belltower" paedo' is let out after 3 years

Exclusive by Mark Smith, Scottish Daily Mirror Scottish Daily Mirror 09/03/2006

 

A Twisted paedophile dubbed the "Beast of the Belltower" was released from from jail early yesterday - despite refusing to accept his guilt.

John Porteous, 73, was sentenced to eight years in prison for sex offences against two boys at a Quarriers children's home in Renfrewshire.

His two victims were horribly abused in a bell tower at the children's home by Porteous when he was supposed to be looking after them.

His sentence was later cut to five years on appeal and now he has been released after serving just three years in jail.

He has never admitted his crimes and continues to brand the boys he abused as liars, but that did not stop him getting out of Peterhead Prison on early release yesterday.

Victims of Porteous spoke of their fury at the fact that he had been set free early despite branding them liars and refusing to accept his guilt.

Victim David Whelan, 48, said, "I'm very angry that he has not accepted responsibility for what he did to me. He has never admitted it and certainly never apologised to his victims. I feel that he has continued to abuse his victims from behind bars by calling us liars. It's a typical way for a paedophile to behave - it is very manipulative and is designed to belittle his victims".

David, who now runs a support group of survivors of abuse in care homes, added, "We believe that Porteous is going to settle again in his home town of Kilmacolm. If I were a parent of a child in that village I would be very worried about his early release. There are many people living in the area who suffered abuse in Quarriers Homes. They will certainly be worried about him returning".

David has demanded a meeting with the Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson to express his concerns. He said, "The Minister for Children, Peter Peacock, has already refused to meet with Quarriers survivors to discuss our call for a Public Inquiry into these abuse cases. I will now be writing to the Justice Minister about my fears about Porteous returning to his home town".

Porteous worked at a Quarriers children's home in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, in the 1960s and 1970s. He was originally convicted of two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour and two charges of shameless indecency at the High Court in Glasgow in 2002. He won an appeal against his convictions on the two counts of shameless indecency, but Lord Gill said the two remaining charges were grave offences. He said, "They were committed by him at a time when he had a serious responsibility of care in relation to children who were already disadvantaged".

Last Year Porteous was turned down for parole, but he has now been released early from his sentence for good behaviour.

Quarriers care homes were set-up to look after orphaned and destitute children in Scotland.

Porteous is one of several staff members who have been jailed for abusing children at the homes. Strathclyde Police even set-up a special task force to deal with the large number of Quarriers abuse claims.

Former housefather Alexander Wilson, 61, was jailed for a 19-year reign of rape, perversion and brutality involving eight girls. Known as Sandy, he is the brother-in-law of John Porteous.

Joseph Nicholson, known as "Uncle Joe" was jailed for two years in 2001 for abusing a 13-year old girl during the late-1960s.

Samuel McBrearty, 75, was jailed for 12 years in 2001 for repeatedly raping two girls and indecently assaulting another. Last week McBrearty had his appeal thrown out.

reporters@mirror.co.uk

 

Quarriers Kid-Abuse Court Rap

A former Quarriers worker was yesterday given three years' probation for abusing kids in her care 30 years ago. Wicked Ruth Wallace subjected the youngsters to a reign of terror when she was a houseparent at a home in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire. The 72-year old was found guilty at Greenock Sheriff Court of the assault and wilful ill-treatment of kids between 1971 and 1981. Sheriff John Herald branded the Glasgow OAP'S conduct "inexcuseable".

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