Abuse Groups Seek Compo Case Reviews, Jennifer Hough, Irish Examiner, June 3, 2009

Abuse Groups Seek Compo Case Reviews

By Jennifer Hough
Irish Examiner
June 3, 2009

http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/abuse-groups-seek-compo-case-reviews-93289.html

GROUPS representing child abuse victims have called on the Government to revisit "every" compensation case with a new expert advisory board.

Following a meeting with the Minister for Children Barry Andrews to discuss the findings of the Ryan Report which uncovered systemic abuse of children in care institutions, abuse survivor and campaigner Christine Buckley said it was "absolutely shocking" that victims were getting so little compensation for the physical, sexual and emotional abuse suffered.

Ms Buckley said the meeting with the minister was "very positive and effective" but that groups wanted to see a special new panel in place to deal with cases and revisit all the old ones.

John Kelly, of Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA), said it was imperative a new system be put in place.

Mr Kelly said victims were receiving "paltry" and "inconsistent" amounts.

"It is time this injustice stopped. Survivors must be consulted and we want an independent process and to see that every case is revisited by a new special board."

Ms Buckley said that "every recommendation" in the Ryan Report was discussed at the meeting and that she was hopeful they would be implemented.

"We talked about out-of-hours service for children which is not there and the importance of it," she said.

"And we talked about inspector’s visiting children in care and about more support for families to help keep children at home."

Ms Buckley said groups – the Aislinn group, Right of Place, Cork and SOCA Dublin – had once again pressed to introduce statutory guidelines on child protection, and to hold a referendum on the rights of the child.

"We are asking that Children First guidelines be put on a statutory basis. The minister said he was going to bring this to Government at end of July and it will hopefully be moved swiftly."

The director of Aislinn, a support centre for survivors of abuse, Ms Buckley said she felt groups were "really listened to".

"So far we are very pleased. Victims will at long last be heard. There can be no more play-acting with these people."

Ms Buckley also called on the minister for justice, Dermot Ahern, to attend a meeting with survivor groups and the Taoiseach tonight at Government Buildings.

"We were incarcerated and criminalised and want the minister for justice to be present to address this."

Meanwhile, the Survivors of Institutional Abuse Ireland (SOIAI) are set to hold a silent march of solidarity for the victims of institutional child abuse crimes on Wednesday, June 10.

The march will start at the Garden of Remembrance at noon and proceed past the GPO to the Dail where a petition is planned to be handed to the director general of the Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI), together with a representative of each of the 18 religious orders who participated in the 2002 indemnity deal.