TWO Mormon women who fed young children raw chilli as a punishment and beat them over a number of years have been found guilty of child cruelty and assault.

At Canterbury Crown Court, Deidre Carrington, 41, from Chiswick, and Maria Keable, 60, of Bellevue Road, Ramsgate, were told by Judge Timothy Nash that what began as reasonable chastisement, got wholly out of control.

There was an element of sadism and he said the assault on one of the boys was an unjustified and deliberate attack.

The two women denied six cruelty charges and one of ABH, claiming the children involved - all under 16 at the time of the offences - had invented their claims.

During the 13-day trial the jury heard evidence of the youngsters being spoonfed chilli powder or pepper and made to eat raw chilli and stinging nettles used as punishment with one boy encouraged to hit the other children with them.

The Crown said the treatment was part of prolonged physical and emotional abuse lasting for nine years until it ended in January 2006 when one of the boys said he had been beaten up by the accused and injuries were seen by staff at his school.

The two met at the London Temple at East Grinstead in west Sussex and while caring for the children implemented a regime of early rising, scripture study and rigorous regime of housework chores with discipline and punishment when they failed to comply. The Crown said Macedonian-born Keable encouraged the younger woman to hit the children although Carrington denied she was dominated or brain-washed by her friend.

One boy was used like a football, being thrown from one to the other, each taking it in turn to beat him.

Both women denied any abuse but members of the Mormon church gave evidence of their concerns for the children's welfare and happiness.

Carrington admitted giving the children chillli but only once because of swearing. Keable denied using it as a punishment.

Counsel for the women asked the court to consider the offences as excessive chastisement, a submission rejected by Judge Nash.

The judge said: "I am quite satisfied there was not just striking by each defendant, there was repeated striking and wholly unnecessary striking over many years.

"It involved, where Maria was concerned, the use of wooden spoons and a rolling pin. Nobody suggests injury was caused. I am quite satisfied that where nettles were concerned, it was no botany lesson.

"It was inflicted on them to tell them what would happen as a punishment, and everything in this household over the years became geared to punishment.

"Chilli was given more than once, whether powder or fresh, matters little, but giving water with it, makes chilli worse."

There were exessive adult chores with some children doing the ironing at very early ages, he added.

"Presently I have in mind custodial sentences but it is my duty to look for other solutions to this problem."

Dealing with the assault charge, he said: "That was an unjustified and deliberate attack by these ladies. Neither were justified in what they did, bouncing him back and forwards like a football. Mercifully the injuries were not serious, but they could have been.

"This isn't excessive chastisement in the court's view. There came a time in the later years when it had an element of sadism about it. These children will have permanent emotional scarring."

He said Carrington painted a picture of being strong but she was really weak and wouldn't say boo to a goose. The strength lay in Maria, a matriarchal figure who took complete control and lost it."

The pair will remain in custody awaiting sentence.