A SCOTS teacher faces being struck from the teaching register after a string of allegations that she abused a child in her foster care.
Marie Young taught primary children in Dumfries and Galloway before the alleged incidents came to light, which have now cast doubt over her suitability as a teacher.
The string of shocking claims all centre around one girl, simply known as Child 1, whom Young fostered in 2004.
The allegations span a ten year spell and include claims that on separate occasions Young slapped the girl across the face, pushed her against a wall and grabbed her by the throat.
In one claim, Young from Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway allegedly struck the girl’s face on a bathroom sink, leaving her nose bloodied.
The allegations cover a ten year period from 2004-2014, and now see Young face a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) hearing.
If found guilty, Young could face being struck off by a three person panel after the four day hearing which begins today.
Child 1 gave evidence to the GTCS today, telling of how she was first placed in the care of Young.
She said: “Marie was my foster carer, I lived in her home in Castle Douglas. I was placed there at the age of seven in 2004, she also had two sons and had respite children staying from time to time.
“I thought Marie was really kind but things started to change, I accidentally smashed a cup and she slapped me across the face.”
The reign of alleged abuse saw the child having their throat gripped by Young in one terrifying incident in the kitchen of the home after being late for breakfast.
Child 1 explained: “I had a dog and horse and needed to walk them and feed them before I got ready for school. I was five minutes late coming down for my breakfast and Marie started shouting at me.
“She started pulling me around the kitchen by my arm, she had her hands on my throat and I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds, she pushed me in the back and out of the door to go to school.
“When I went to school I really couldn’t get over what happened, I began to cry and I was upset.
“A teacher saw that I was upset and I broke down and said Marie had been hitting me, the teacher cuddled me and said she would tell someone about it.
“She told the social services, the following day I was moved to a respite carer.
“I’ve had to attend counselling for years, I thought it was all my fault. I believed if I did things better then Marie wouldn’t have hit me.
Another allegation claims that Young grabbed the girl by the hair and struck her face off a bathroom sink after finding out she did not have any shampoo.
Child 1 said: “I was upstairs going for a shower. I knew I didn’t have any shampoo but I was so scared to tell her, she became so angry and started pulling me and shoving me.
“She kept on punching and screaming and shouting, she grabbed the back of my hair and hit my face off the sink, my nose was covered in blood and I just sat there crying.
“I spent a couple of minutes trying to make myself look as if nothing had happened and I went down the stairs.
“I was petrified of her, I was so scared, I was dazed out for a couple of seconds, I just didn’t know what to do or what to say.
When asked by Brian Feeney, convenor of GTCS, how she answered the allegations, Young was adamant in her answer.
She said: “I do not admit these allegations and I do not believe that my fitness to teach is impaired.”
The hearing continues.
