Childminder who left 27 children alone in her home pleads guilty to neglect
Mathewson had 27 children in her home, 19 above her limit, and police said some were left alone for at least 30 minutes.
- Dunfermline childminder Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to neglect, admitting she left more than 20 children unsupervised in her home.
- While registered to care for only eight children, Mathewson held 27 in her home—19 more than licensed—using loud music to "conceal how oversubscribed she was."
- Suspicious parents discovered their children were missing during a school run; witnesses then found five unattended children in the garden and one child "screaming hysterically" inside the unlocked house.
- Sheriff John MacRitchie deferred sentencing until November 6 for background reports, following police findings that children were left alone for at least 30 minutes on multiple occasions.
- Parents are now advocating for systemic changes, stating they have "turned our pain into a purpose" to rebuild childcare regulation so it is "truly fit to protect Scotland's children.
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7 Articles
Childminder guilty of neglect after abandoning 27 children alone in her home
A Scottish childminder has pleaded guilty of neglect after abandoning 27 children alone in her home.Amanda Mathewson, 55, admitted to neglect and abandoning children in her care at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday.Her offending took place at several locations in Dunfermline and elsewhere in Fife.Matthewson had been self-employed as a childminder for 30 years, but his parents began to be concerned that their children were not being fed, as they…
Dunfermline childminder case raises safeguarding concerns
A case involving a Dunfermline childminder who’s just pleaded guilty to neglect has raised concerns about how childcare providers are monitored and regulated. Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care. She worked as a self-employed childminder for around 30…
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