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	Humbert School Honours Child Abuse Victims By Anna-Marie Flynn Mayo News August 24, 2009 http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7478&Itemid=38 " I Don't Want Silly Apologies. I Want to See Repentance." – Michael O'Brien BALLINA's General Humbert Summer School hosted an emotionally-charged awards ceremony which saw victims of clerical child abuse honoured last Saturday. Marking the end of a day-long debate on child protection, the commemorative ceremony also saw plaques presented to Judge Sean Ryan, who was at the helm of the long-running inquiry into church and state-run schools, and Mary Raftery, investigative journalist, who contributed greatly to exposing institutional child abuse scandals." Nobel Peace Laureate and patron of the Humbert School, John Hume, presented all three awards. Michael O'Brien, of the Right to Peace group, and now nationally recognised after his emotional presentation on Questions and Answers earlier this year, accepted the award on behalf of "everyone who as a child went through the institutions". And in a sombre message, referring to the religious congregations involved in the scandals, Mr O'Brien said: "I will forgive when I know that these people mean it when they say 'we are really, really sorry'. I don't want silly apologies. I want to see repentance." Also present and representing former residents of institutions were Tom Hayes of the Alliance group, and Dolores Rooney of Soca UK and Ireland. In his first public appearance since the May publication of the Ryan Report, Mr Justice Sean Ryan accepted the award on behalf of the Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse and praised the 'courage and fortitude' of those who shared their experiences with him. He said their cooperation had brought to light "events which were shrouded in darkness for so long". Judge Ryan said he thanked the Humbert School and accepted the award "with great humility and he was conscious of the enormous contribution of colleagues." Referring to the damning inquiry, he said: "This is the best report we could make. It is for others to do justice to those who suffered abuse in the past - and to decide what can be done to ensure that such events do not happen in the future." A third award was presented to journalist Mary Raftery for her documentaries into clerical child abuse. Ms Raftery is also the author of the now renowned 'Suffer the Little Children'.
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