- Dunfermline childminder Amanda Mathewson, 55, has been jailed for two years at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care.
- Officials discovered up to 27 children at Mathewson's address—far exceeding her permitted limit of eight—with unsupervised infants left strapped in pushchairs and outside in the garden.
- Mathewson engaged in a deliberate course of deception between September 2023 and August 2024, requiring parents to text ahead of arrival so she could hide excess youngsters in separate rooms.
- Sheriff John MacRitchie noted that more than 90 victim impact statements were submitted, warning that her premeditated actions created an enormous potential for catastrophic harm.
- The Care Inspectorate expressed shock at the case and confirmed it has updated its inspection, complaints, and conflict of interest procedures following a review.
