Foster carer and son guilty of physically and sexually abusing children

A foster carer subjected children to physical abuse whilst her son subjected children to serious sexual assaults, a court has heard.

Jennifer Robertson, 79, carried out a string of assaults on young people at locations in Perthshire between December 1980 and December 1995.

She also subjected them to painful physical assaults, whilst her son Steven, 52, sexually assaulted and raped children.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh spent the past week hearing evidence from victims of the Robertsons.

On Friday afternoon, jurors convicted Jennifer of abuse charges, whilst convicting Steven of sexual assault and rape charges.

Judge John Morris KC remanded Steven Robertson in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing next month.

He gave Jennifer bail ahead of the same hearing, but he warned her that the decision to allow her to remain at liberty doesn’t mean she will escape custody.

The Robertsons denied any wrongdoing during proceedings.

The court heard that on various occasions throughout the 1980s, Jennifer called children derogatory names. She also physically assaulted the children – one little boy had his head struck against a wall.

During the same time period, Steven sexually assaulted a young girl.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Steven, while acting with his now-dead father Alan, sexually assaulted another child.

He raped another child throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

The court heard that police became aware of the Robertsons’ activities in 2018, and a lengthy police investigation was launched. Detectives managed to gather enough evidence against the pair to bring them to court.

In her closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Michelle Brannagan urged jurors to convict the pair of the offences on the indictment.

She told them that there was enough evidence available from complainers who gave evidence against the pair.

Ms Brannanigan added: “I invite you to find them both guilty of the charges which they face on the indictment.

“You can be confident from the evidence you have heard of their guilt.”

Steven Robertson’s solicitor, advocate Kris Gilmartin, and Jennifer’s advocate, Duncan McPhie, urged jurors to acquit their clients. They told the court that the evidence available to them didn’t support convictions.

However, jurors returned guilty verdicts against the duo.

Following the conviction, Judge Morris remanded Steven into custody. The accused was also told he’d be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Mr McPhie asked for bail to be continued due to the “discerning verdicts” that the jury returned against his client.

Judge Morris allowed bail to be continued on the basis of Jennifer’s age and lack of previous offending.

The pair will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on April 17, 2026.