By Alan O'keeffe
Herald
May 21, 2009
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/sufferers-of-decades-of-abuse-demand-guilty-be-named-and-shamed-1746844.html
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| Victims of the appalling abuse catalogued in the Ryan Commission's report say their abusers should be named and held to account for their actions. |
Anger is growing at the failure of the Ryan Commission to 'name and shame' those who brutally abused children in institutions over many decades.
More than 1,800 reports of abuse were examined by the commission chaired by Mr Justice Sean Ryan yet not a single perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse had his or her identity revealed in the long-awaited report.
Christine Buckley, who spearheaded the campaign for justice for abuse victims after revealing details 25 years ago of her own ordeal at Goldenbridge Industrial School in Dublin, said the failure to name abusers was "a tragedy."
Crimes
Paddy Doyle, who wrote The God Squad about being the victim of a decade of abuse in institutions, said: "The people who are guilty of crimes should be pursued by law and made answerable. But we are in a situation now where there may well be people guilty of gross abuse who will just walk away from this."
The report catalogues widespread abuse of children and young people handed over to the so-called care of institutions run by religious orders. It took nearly a decade for the Commission to deal with the litany of abuse committed in more than 200 institutions dating back to 1936.
The report reveals that the Irish State stood idly by as thousands of children were abused. For more than 50 years, the Department of Education did nothing to prevent the cycle of abuse as it remained overly deferential to the religious orders. The Department repeatedly failed to investigate complaints properly. Many of the victims are now outraged that the report concealed the identities of their abusers.
During four decades of shame, 25,000 children were sent to 55 industrial and reformatory schools. Yet, files relating to 18,000 of these youngsters have inexplicably 'disappeared'.
The most vulnerable children suffered "disturbing" levels of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. The severe lack of kindness and humanity in these forbidding institutions was highlighted by the commission.
Sexual abuse was endemic in boys' institutions. Adults in positions of power repeatedly offended against the children.
Religious authorities often simply transferred abusers when complaints managed to get through. The abusers usually carried on their heinous offenses in the new posts to which they were appointed by the Orders.
Religious superiors often refused to listen or believe the complaints. The system also failed to protect younger children from being abused by older children. A 'culture of silence' prevented the guilty from being brought to justice.
Nuns
Even individual priests, brothers or nuns who wanted to respond to the emotional needs of children faced huge difficulties within the system.
Children lived in daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was going to come from.
Severe corporal punishment was doled out to boys and girls alike and their injuries were hidden from the view of the world outside.
The HSE today offered a free National Counselling Service for anyone who has suffered childhood abuse on 1800 235 234.
The related Connect service, for out of hours contact, is on freephone 1800 235 235.
Contact: aokeeffe@herald.ie
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