Un Singles out Magdalene Scandal in Abuse Report

Irish Independent
February 6, 2014

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/un-singles-out-magdalene-scandal-in-abuse-report-29984749.html


THE United Nations has singled out Ireland's Magdalene laundries scandal as part of a devastating onslaught on the Catholic Church's handling of clerical abuse.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child accused the Vatican of systematically turning a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse of children by priests, and demanded it immediately turn over known or suspected offenders to face justice.

And the UN committee launched a scathing attack on Ireland's shameful treatment of women incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries.

Crucially, the UN report stated that the Magdalene women who were "arbitrarily confined" in institutions run by four religious orders of sisters should be paid compensation by the church.

The United Nations report was issued on the same day that Pope Francis met Philomena Lee, the campaigner who has called on the Government to open up adoption records and reunite mothers separated from their children as a result of forced adoption.

She was accompanied by British actor Steve Coogan, who starred in a film about her story last year.

Late last year, the four religious orders – the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of Charity, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and the Good Shepherd Order – told Justice Minister Alan Shatter for a second time that they would not contribute to paying compensation to the women who survived.

Mr Shatter has revealed that the government redress scheme for Magdalene survivors, which will come out of taxpayers' pockets, will cost up to ˆ58m. Some women will receive up to ˆ100,000.

The scheme was initiated after the damning report by former High Court judge John Quirke.

The UN said the Vatican needed to launch a full investigation into the Magdalene laundries scandal in which thousands of women and girls were abused and enslaved.

The report said those who abused and exploited the women incarcerated in the laundries should be prosecuted if they are still alive.

RAPE

In unprecedented criticism, the UN accused the Vatican of "systematically" adopting policies that allowed priests to rape and molest tens of thousands of children over decades.