May 16, 2006

Sisters of Mercy deny claim of abuse at school

IRELAND
One in Four

The Irish Times

The Sisters of Mercy have denied there was "any deliberate, severe injury to anybody" at St Vincent's industrial school in Goldenbridge, Dublin which they ran.

They also insisted the food there was always adequate, and progressed from being adequate to being varied and appetising, the investigation committee of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was told yesterday.

As the committee's phase III public hearings continued, Sr Helena O'Donoghue, leader of the Sisters of Mercy south central province, said the order denied that any child at Goldenbridge was referred to by number. "Every child was known by their own name," she said, "numbers were used for laundry purposes only".

Water was available, though it was curtailed after tea time where bed-wetting children were concerned, she said. After 1944 all the reports on medical care of children were very positive, she added.

Posted by kshaw at May 16, 2006 04:30 PM