Evesham woman facing child sex and cruelty charges to stand trial

A trial date has been scheduled for Bernice Stuart, a 79-year-old woman from Main Street, Sedgeberrow, who faces serious allegations of child cruelty and sexual assault. She is accused of three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 years old and three counts of cruelty to a person under 16. The allegations include threatening to whip a child with a belt, pinching and flicking another child, and hitting a different child around the knuckles, fingers, and knees with a belt. Additionally, Stuart is accused of one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration. The trial was initially set for June 16 but has now been rescheduled to take place at Worcester Crown Court on November 3. The case has garnered public attention due to the serious nature of the accusations and her age.