Shocking Revelations
Saturday, October 16, 2004
The most shocking revelation of Ms Justice Mary Laffoy's valedictory report as chairperson of the commission to inquire into Child Abuse is her summary of the evidence at the Confidential Committee.
This committee was established to allow abuse victims to tell their story in a confidential setting.Those who went before the committee were not asking for redress. They did not want their abusers punished or exposed,nor did they want any publicity for themselves. Therefore,their evidence must be taken as all the more credible.The story they have told is of abuse on a hiterto unimagined scale. Of beatings,of humiliations,of sexual abuse of all kinds, of degradation and of how,in most cases when they reported abuse their claims were dismissed. In over a quarter of cases,they were subjected to punishment for making the reports.But what is even more startling is that the abusers were not just members of the religious orders who ran the industrial and reformatory schools,but lay care workers,nightwatchmen,teachers,visiting professionals, farm workers,foster parents and godparents and a further dimension of this scandal is the culpability of the judiciary in consigning so many children to such institutions on essentially trivial justifications.
Over 600 witnesses made complaints of abuse,and 500 of these had been admitted to industrial and reformatory schools by direction of a court.An unspecified number of these (all boys)were admitted because of some criminality and the commission reports that "the nature of offences in most cases,as reported by witnesses,was theft of food,fuel,clothing,money and bicycles". They were generally sentenced on their first appearance in court. Of the 55 industrial and reformatory schools in the state,complaints were registered about all but four of them. However,allegations of abuse were made also concerning other institutions including a childrens home,two hospitals,one national school and one residential school for children with special needs.413 male witnesses made complaints.
There were 330 accounts of physical abuse involving 19 institutions,the report states,,,,Witnesses described a daily existence that involved the possibility of being hit by any staff member at any time for any reason.Random and continous abuse towards themselves or others created an environment of pervasive fear.The stated reasons for physical abuse included inattention at lessons, not knowing the answer to a question, left handedness, absconding, not obeying instructions quickly enough,bedwetting,general wear and tear on clothing and footwear,talking at meals or in bed, playing soccer, not being able to carry out work tasks, particularly farm work quickly and properly.
Beatings were administered to boys to every part of their body, the front and back of hands, wrists, legs, back, buttocks, head, face, and feet. Some beatings were done in public and witnesses reported that they were sometimes made to remove all their clothing for these beatings. A variety of instruments used to enforce discipline were described to the committee. The Leather strap was the most commonly reported instrument. Also reported were a variety of sticks and other instruments including ashplants, blackthorn sticks, brush handles, pointers, farm implements, drain rods, rubber tyres, fan belts, horse tackle, sliotars(a very hard ball) and hurleys. The committee heard 175 reports from males of sexual abuse in relation to 16 institutions. The sexual abuse described ranged from detailed interrogation about sexual activity, inspection of genitalia, Kissing, fondling of genitalia, masturbation of witness by abuser and vice versa, oral intercourse, rape and gang rape, the report states.
Some witnesses described their sexual abuse as a single event, while for others the abuse lasted for their entire stay in the institution. The claimed perpetrators of sexual abuse included "authority figures, members of the care staff team both lay and religious, teachers, lay ancillary workers, visiting professionals, trade instructors, nightwatchmen and farm workers. In addition, some male witnesses reported that they were sexually abused by men who took them out of the institute for the day or for holidays. There were 228 reports by males of emotional abuse in relation to 18 institutions. Theses included public humilation, personal ridicule and denigration of an individuals family. Witnesses described being constantly told they were unwanted and worthless. Namecalling of a derogatory nature was reported as commonplace. In total, 331 male witnesses reported that 445 people associated with industrial or reformatory schools abused them, with 402 males and 43 females being identified. 358 female witnesses registered complaints against 82 institutions. There were 281 accounts of physical abuse of girls involving 35 institutions. Witnesses described becoming accustomed to being hit as staff passed by, or in the classroom, as their daily lot and believed that life everywhere was like that. Witnesses reported that they were hit on all areas of the body, the fingers, hands, wrists, shoulders, ears, face, head, trunk, feet, legs, and thighs. Among the instruments witnesses described as having been used were canes, sticks, pointers, chair legs, sewing machine treadle belts, leather straps, rulers, scissors, keys, rosary beads, coat hangers, hand brushes, hairbrushes, yard brushes, rungs of chairs, broom handles and tree branches. Other forms of punishment and physical deprivation (of girls) described included:
being locked in dark rooms or coal sheds,
kneeling on stone floors in corridors and steps for long periods,
standing in cold dark corridors for hours or all night
being put outside all night on fire escapes
in the the pig sty
being placed in a cold bath as a remedy for bed wetting.
There were reports of food or sleep deprivation and of being force fed.
There were 83 reports of sexual abuse of girls made in respect of 27 institutions. Sexual abuse complained of ranged from inappropriate kissing, fondling and masturbation of abuser by the child, oral intercourse, use of instruments for vaginal penetration and rape by one or more people. Witnesses reported that they were abused by members of religious congregations and lay people who were members of the care team, ancillary workers and tradesmen, employers while on licence from the institution and foster carers or godparents who took them out for short or long holiday periods. There were 261 reports of emotional abuse of girls made in respect of 35 institutions. All witnesses who described emotional abuse spoke of being unloved, deprived of affection and feeling unwanted throughout their stay in the institution.
They reported that they were told they were only there because no one in their family cared about them. The other main aspects of emotional abuse complained of were personal denigration, family denigration, public humiliation, being subjected without explanation to fearful situations, and having irrational fears instilled in them by a strong negative emphasis on religion. There were 277 reports of neglect of girls in respect of 35 institutions. The most common forms of neglect complained of included:
Lack of adequate and edible food
poor clothing in terms of appearance or suitability for the seasons and materials used,
institutions being inadequately heated
poor hygiene practices
and poor bedding particularly in relation to children who wet the bed.
In total 285 female witnesses reported that they were abused by 325 people associated with industrial and reformatory schools and they identified 289 females and 36 males as people who had abused them.178 of these women and men claiming abuse said they had reported the abuse while resident in these institutions.51 of these(almost 30% cent) reported they had been punished for reporting abuse.
In only 15 instances was the alleged abuser re-moved from the institution concerned,and in only 12 further cases was the abuser admonished. 82 witnesses (nearly half) believed that no action was taken as a result of their disclosures.
This committee was established to allow abuse victims to tell their story in a confidential setting.Those who went before the committee were not asking for redress. They did not want their abusers punished or exposed,nor did they want any publicity for themselves. Therefore,their evidence must be taken as all the more credible.The story they have told is of abuse on a hiterto unimagined scale. Of beatings,of humiliations,of sexual abuse of all kinds, of degradation and of how,in most cases when they reported abuse their claims were dismissed. In over a quarter of cases,they were subjected to punishment for making the reports.But what is even more startling is that the abusers were not just members of the religious orders who ran the industrial and reformatory schools,but lay care workers,nightwatchmen,teachers,visiting professionals, farm workers,foster parents and godparents and a further dimension of this scandal is the culpability of the judiciary in consigning so many children to such institutions on essentially trivial justifications.
Over 600 witnesses made complaints of abuse,and 500 of these had been admitted to industrial and reformatory schools by direction of a court.An unspecified number of these (all boys)were admitted because of some criminality and the commission reports that "the nature of offences in most cases,as reported by witnesses,was theft of food,fuel,clothing,money and bicycles". They were generally sentenced on their first appearance in court. Of the 55 industrial and reformatory schools in the state,complaints were registered about all but four of them. However,allegations of abuse were made also concerning other institutions including a childrens home,two hospitals,one national school and one residential school for children with special needs.413 male witnesses made complaints.
There were 330 accounts of physical abuse involving 19 institutions,the report states,,,,Witnesses described a daily existence that involved the possibility of being hit by any staff member at any time for any reason.Random and continous abuse towards themselves or others created an environment of pervasive fear.The stated reasons for physical abuse included inattention at lessons, not knowing the answer to a question, left handedness, absconding, not obeying instructions quickly enough,bedwetting,general wear and tear on clothing and footwear,talking at meals or in bed, playing soccer, not being able to carry out work tasks, particularly farm work quickly and properly.
Beatings were administered to boys to every part of their body, the front and back of hands, wrists, legs, back, buttocks, head, face, and feet. Some beatings were done in public and witnesses reported that they were sometimes made to remove all their clothing for these beatings. A variety of instruments used to enforce discipline were described to the committee. The Leather strap was the most commonly reported instrument. Also reported were a variety of sticks and other instruments including ashplants, blackthorn sticks, brush handles, pointers, farm implements, drain rods, rubber tyres, fan belts, horse tackle, sliotars(a very hard ball) and hurleys. The committee heard 175 reports from males of sexual abuse in relation to 16 institutions. The sexual abuse described ranged from detailed interrogation about sexual activity, inspection of genitalia, Kissing, fondling of genitalia, masturbation of witness by abuser and vice versa, oral intercourse, rape and gang rape, the report states.
Some witnesses described their sexual abuse as a single event, while for others the abuse lasted for their entire stay in the institution. The claimed perpetrators of sexual abuse included "authority figures, members of the care staff team both lay and religious, teachers, lay ancillary workers, visiting professionals, trade instructors, nightwatchmen and farm workers. In addition, some male witnesses reported that they were sexually abused by men who took them out of the institute for the day or for holidays. There were 228 reports by males of emotional abuse in relation to 18 institutions. Theses included public humilation, personal ridicule and denigration of an individuals family. Witnesses described being constantly told they were unwanted and worthless. Namecalling of a derogatory nature was reported as commonplace. In total, 331 male witnesses reported that 445 people associated with industrial or reformatory schools abused them, with 402 males and 43 females being identified. 358 female witnesses registered complaints against 82 institutions. There were 281 accounts of physical abuse of girls involving 35 institutions. Witnesses described becoming accustomed to being hit as staff passed by, or in the classroom, as their daily lot and believed that life everywhere was like that. Witnesses reported that they were hit on all areas of the body, the fingers, hands, wrists, shoulders, ears, face, head, trunk, feet, legs, and thighs. Among the instruments witnesses described as having been used were canes, sticks, pointers, chair legs, sewing machine treadle belts, leather straps, rulers, scissors, keys, rosary beads, coat hangers, hand brushes, hairbrushes, yard brushes, rungs of chairs, broom handles and tree branches. Other forms of punishment and physical deprivation (of girls) described included:
being locked in dark rooms or coal sheds,
kneeling on stone floors in corridors and steps for long periods,
standing in cold dark corridors for hours or all night
being put outside all night on fire escapes
in the the pig sty
being placed in a cold bath as a remedy for bed wetting.
There were reports of food or sleep deprivation and of being force fed.
There were 83 reports of sexual abuse of girls made in respect of 27 institutions. Sexual abuse complained of ranged from inappropriate kissing, fondling and masturbation of abuser by the child, oral intercourse, use of instruments for vaginal penetration and rape by one or more people. Witnesses reported that they were abused by members of religious congregations and lay people who were members of the care team, ancillary workers and tradesmen, employers while on licence from the institution and foster carers or godparents who took them out for short or long holiday periods. There were 261 reports of emotional abuse of girls made in respect of 35 institutions. All witnesses who described emotional abuse spoke of being unloved, deprived of affection and feeling unwanted throughout their stay in the institution.
They reported that they were told they were only there because no one in their family cared about them. The other main aspects of emotional abuse complained of were personal denigration, family denigration, public humiliation, being subjected without explanation to fearful situations, and having irrational fears instilled in them by a strong negative emphasis on religion. There were 277 reports of neglect of girls in respect of 35 institutions. The most common forms of neglect complained of included:
Lack of adequate and edible food
poor clothing in terms of appearance or suitability for the seasons and materials used,
institutions being inadequately heated
poor hygiene practices
and poor bedding particularly in relation to children who wet the bed.
In total 285 female witnesses reported that they were abused by 325 people associated with industrial and reformatory schools and they identified 289 females and 36 males as people who had abused them.178 of these women and men claiming abuse said they had reported the abuse while resident in these institutions.51 of these(almost 30% cent) reported they had been punished for reporting abuse.
In only 15 instances was the alleged abuser re-moved from the institution concerned,and in only 12 further cases was the abuser admonished. 82 witnesses (nearly half) believed that no action was taken as a result of their disclosures.
