Ireland--irish Official Apologizes for Abuse

SNAP
January 30, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_irish_official_apologizes_for_abuse

For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 30

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

It was gracious for Enda Kenny to offer and Louise O'Keefe to accept his apology for her suffering.

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That gesture, however, in a real sense, changes nothing. Irish Catholic and governmental officials have a moral and civic duty to take four simple, long-overdue steps.

First, they must aggressively seek out and help those who were hurt in institutions, especially those who have moved oversease.

Second, they must offer tangible and generous compensation to all who were injured and betrayed in these institutions.

Third, they must expose every wrong doer involved (living or dead, high level or low level, on the state payroll or the church payroll).

Fourth, they must take strong, clear public steps to ensure that these types of crimes and mistreatment won't happen again.

Again, we commend Ms. O'Keefe for her patient pursuit of justice and the European Court of Human Rights for acknowledging her severe suffering. We hope more men and women who were violated as children in church/state facilities will step forward, get help, expose wrongdoing, seek justice and really heal from this widespread, needless trauma.