Understand
Parents brand childminder a 'master manipulator' after she pleads guilty to child neglect
Overview
Parents whose children were cared for by Amanda Mathewson, a childminder in Dunfermline, have described her as a "master manipulator" after she pleaded guilty to wilful neglect. Mathewson admitted to leaving 27 young children alone and unsupervised at her home and caring for far more children than her registration permitted. Families expressed trauma upon learning that their trusted community figure had deceived them for years.
Key points
- Childminder Amanda Mathewson pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children to suffering.
- Mathewson was permitted to care for a maximum of eight children, but investigations found she left 27 youngsters alone and unsupervised at her home.
- Parents described her as a trusted community figure who used deception, loud music, and barred entry at drop-off times to conceal overcrowding.
- Court documents and parents noted signs of neglect, including children returning home thirsty, in pristine clothes indicating a lack of food, or in dirty nappies.
- A Care Inspectorate report from August 2023 had previously rated her care standards as very good before suspicions were raised and parents gathered evidence for the police.