Calls for Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry to look at the experience of Travellers

Calls have been made for a child abuse inquiry to look at the experience of Scottish Travellers.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, chaired by Lady Smith, has heard evidence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse suffered by youngsters in care.

Its review is split into separate case studies. Last week, it was announced boarding schools and foster care would be investigated in later proceedings.

Campaigners are now calling for the experience of Travellers to be probed.

Davie Donaldson, a Traveller rights activist, said: “A phase focusing on the experience of Travellers would be progressive.

“Our children were being taken as a direct attack on our culture, similar to how we see history of children being taken during colonialism – this was to try to get rid of our way of life.”

In 1895, the government recommended children could be placed in homes or shipped to British colonies.

Mr Donaldson said: “That went right on until the early 1970s – I’m yet to find one Traveller family who doesn’t have an example of this happening to them.”

Martha Stewart was removed from her family camp in Aberdeenshire as a six-month-old in 1958.

Her parents returned to their tent at night to find their two daughters, who were being looked after by an auntie, had been taken by police.

The 61-year-old said: “We were never allowed contact with our family – we never saw our parents again.”