Siblings sue church over care home sex abuse

Three siblings are suing the Church of Scotland after being sexually abused by a notorious care home paedophile.

The two males and one female, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were repeatedly attacked at Lord and Lady Polworth Children’s House in Edinburgh.

The girl was forced to have an abortion when she fell pregnant after the predator raped her.

Ian Samson was later jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of 22 serious sexual offences spanning three decades.

The survivors have now raised a civil action against the Kirk and have encouraged others to step forward.

Their lawyers Digby Brown Solicitors say they were victims in the criminal court case against Samson.

The siblings said: “That man was nothing short of evil. He robbed us of our childhood, our happiness and our future.

“He might have been jailed but we will never escape the torment of it all and it’s possible we never will.”

Samson worked at Lord and Lady Polworth as a superintendent. His campaign of abuse was carried out between the 1970s and 1990s.

The caretaker was even allowed to keep his role at the care home despite being suspected of taking obscene photos of a child.

He was jailed in 2013 at the High Court in Edinburgh.