The investigation found that almost 2,400 reports of sexual abuse had been registered in 308 schools run by religious orders across Ireland.
The Government of Ireland has announced the creation of a Commission of Inquiry about the sexual abuse committed in schools run by Catholic religious orders, after a preliminary investigation uncovered nearly 2,400 reports of abuse.
Education Minister Norma Foley on Tuesday described the preliminary investigation report as a “heartbreaking document, containing some of the most atrocious accounts of sexual abuse”.
The investigation discovered that there were 884 alleged abusers in 308 schools throughout the country between the years 1927 and 2013. More than half of the people accused of sexual abuse They have passed away.
Most of these accusations were communicated by 42 orders who ran or run schools throughout the Republic of Ireland. Another 17 special educational centers registered 590 accusations that implicated 190 alleged abusers.
The research was based on interviews or written communications from 149 survivors. Most of the participants were men between 50 and 60 years old.
The report, directed by prestigious attorney Mary O’Toolewas delivered to Foley in June. Opening an investigation into the abuses is one of several recommendations he made to the Government. The document, 700 pagesalso recommends that the Government ask religious orders to contribute to a reparation plan.
Foley praised the victims and survivors for their “extraordinary bravery” in sharing their personal stories. “I have been deeply moved by the courage, strength and candor of all those who have shared their experiences,” he said.
Childhood ended when the abuse began
The people interviewed for the investigation they described how they abused them, stripped them and drugged them in an atmosphere of fear and silence. Many believed it was something “so widespread, that it was impossible for it to go unnoticed for the rest of the staff and for the members and leaders of the religious orders”.
Despite their professional success, many survivors claimed that it came at the cost of their personal relationships, as they could not escape their childhood trauma. They explained that abuse was often accompanied by violenceand occurred in classrooms, dormitories, and during extracurricular activities.
The participants stated that the influence of Catholic church It made them feel like they had no one to turn to, leading to long-term mental health issues and addictions. “Many said that his childhood ended the day the abuse started“says the report.
Decades of abuse allegations
The Government launched the investigation in 2022, in response to a radio documentary of ‘RTÉ’ that revealed the history of sexual abuse at Blackrock College, in Dublin.
That school is associated with many Irish rugby internationals. There, supposedly, 57 people were abused. In November 2022, the Spiritan Congregation, which ran Blackrock College, asked sorry to all victims in the name of the order.
Foley paid tribute to the late Mark Ryan who, along with his brother David, spoke about his experience of abuse at school in the 1970s. “Today he is very present in our hearts, and I am aware that in the coming weeks the first anniversary of his death is approaching,” he said.
The report is the latest in a series on allegations of abuse by priests and religious organizationspredominantly in the Catholic churchdominant in Ireland. He also makes accusations against the Jesuits, the Carmelite Fathers, the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
Details of the report are available at the research website.
