A childminder who left more than 20 children alone and unsupervised in her home has been sentenced to two years in prison. Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting, abandoning, and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health at her residence in Dunfermline, Fife, in August 2024.
Investigation Reveals Shocking Neglect
An internal probe by the Care Inspectorate found that Mathewson, who was licensed to care for eight children under the age of 16 at any one time, had been tipped off about unannounced inspections by an unknown staff member. Her offending only came to light after concerned parents spied on her leaving the home without their children.
During sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff MacRitchie described Mathewson's actions as a "gross abuse of a position of trust." He told her she had "knowingly" created an environment in which "injury, terror and neglect were obvious and foreseeable."
The court also heard victim impact statements from affected children, who spoke of suffering "nightmares, anxiety and a distrust of childcare providers."
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
