Catholic Schools Abuse

As widely reported in the media this week a government-commissioned report has revealed 2,400 accusations of sexual abuse in Catholic schools across Ireland since the 1970s. In response, an official inquiry commission is to be launched.

Anybody that has been so abused should ensure that the school they attended is included in the inquiry commission and that they consult their solicitor to ensure they are properly represented.

Representatives of organisations that help those abused expect that the number of children, now adults, will exceed the figure of 2,400.

Newspapers have published the names of the schools where abuse accusations have been identified and it is possible, if not probable that more schools will be identified.

It has been made clear that this time the religious orders will have to step up to the mark and co-operate fully with the State.

The Report warned that instances of historical child sex abuse in religious schools have probably been under-reported.

A considerable number of abuse allegations are laid before the Christian Brothers in respect of various schools.

The responsibility for these abuses will fall on the State for the industrial schools and the religious orders for schools they ran which includes private schools.

This is not the first time child abuse was investigated in Ireland though it seems the full extent of the abuse was not realised when it first was reported in the 1970’s.

One of the problems the Commission of Enquiry will have is the records kept by the religious orders so, the evidence of past pupils that were abused will be important. The onus is on the religious orders to provide the records and where they cannot, they may find themselves in difficulty in responding to allegations made against them.

This time the government is determined to make sure the religious orders engage in full accountability, and it appears any order found wanting will be held to account.