No evidence of crime at orphanage grave

Police: Hundreds in ‘mass child burial’ died of natural causes

Prosecutors say there is no evidence of crime at an orphanage where the bodies of hundreds of children were reportedly buried in a mass grave.

An investigation found that at least 400 children from Smyllum Park Orphanage in Lanark are thought to be buried in an unmarked grave at the town’s St Mary’s Cemetery.

The orphanage, run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, was home to more than 10,000 between 1864 and 1981.

Death records show most of the children died of natural causes between 1870 and 1930 from common diseases of the time.

Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Police Scotland said they “recognise the level of public concern” but there is no evidence of criminal activity.

Smyllum Park Orphanage is one of several institutions being examined by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Representatives of The Daughters of Charity gave evidence in June and said they found no evidence of abuse.

A joint statement from COPFS and Police Scotland said: “COPFS and the police are responsible for the investigation of crime and the investigation of sudden, suspicious and unexplained deaths.

“Based on the informa- tion currently available, there is no evidence to suggest a crime has been committed, or that any deaths require to be investigated, but that position will be kept under review. Any allegations of criminality will be thoroughly and sensitively investigated.”

The Daughters of Charity said: “We wish to again make clear that, as Daughters of Charity, our values are totally against any form of abuse and thus we offer our most sincere and heartfelt apology to anyone who suffered any form of abuse while in our care.”

Minister for Childcare Mark McDonald said burials in private ground in the time the orphanage was open were covered by a law from 1855. “Private burial authorities tended to follow the legislation voluntarily but there was no legal requirement for them to do so, nor to maintain a register of burials,” he said.