Irish abuse victims on the march as Catholic Church runs for cover
Pastor Dale Morgan
Irish abuse victims on the march as Catholic Church runs for cover*
By Andras Gergely
Reuters
Wednesday, June 10, 2009; 3:55 PM
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish bishops said they were "ashamed" about
widespread abuse of children at Catholic-run schools after victims
marched silently to the Irish parliament Wednesday to demand justice.
Disclosures of floggings, slave labor and gang rape in Ireland's now
defunct system of industrial and reform schools have shamed Irish
people, particularly older ones who did not confront what a report last
month described as endemic abuse.
"Heinous crimes were perpetrated against the most innocent and
vulnerable, and vile acts with life-lasting effects were carried out
under the guise of the mission of Jesus Christ,"
The leaders of the Catholic Church in Ireland met Pope Benedict Friday
and he told them to make sure justice was done for all, "to bring
healing to the survivors of abuse" and to prevent abuse from happening
again, the bishops said.
The statement came hours after hundreds of victims of abuse, carrying
children's shoes and wearing white ribbons symbolizing their lost youth,
marched to parliament accompanied by thousands of other protestors.
"It was as if you were inside prison and when you come out you don't
talk about it," said Marina Permaul, 66, who was brought up "military
style" by nuns in the western county of Galway.
"You don't talk about it even to your children," said Permaul, who
arrived from London to attend the march. "You're too ashamed of it all,
and in any case would they believe you? You didn't dare speak out
against a religious order."
COMPENSATION
Organizers of the march, held to coincide with a parliamentary debate on
the report, have expressed anger that the debate was postponed to allow
parliament to deal with a motion of confidence in the government.
"It really emphasizes again that the state hasn't actually understood
one iota of what it was like for 165,000 children who went through 216
institutions," said victim Christine Buckley.
The inquiry, chaired by High Court Justice Sean Ryan, criticized
religious authorities for covering up the crimes and the Department of
Education for colluding in the silence. It noted children were also
preyed upon by foster parents, volunteer workers and employers.
The report did not identify abusers after a successful legal challenge
by the Christian Brothers, which was the largest provider of residential
care for boys in Ireland.
A series of scandals involving predatory priests has dislodged the Roman
Catholic Church from its once pre-eminent position in Irish society but
there is anger that many have avoided jail.
Religious orders identified in the report have come under pressure to
pay more compensation to victims. A 2002 deal capped their contribution
to a redress fund at 127 million euros ($177 million). The total bill is
expected to top 1 billion euros.
Buckley said the fund was a failure and she has called for its awards to
be reviewed and a trust fund set up instead.
"The whole idea of the redress board was another form of institutional
abuse. It is silent, it is behind closed doors and there is punishment
if you reveal your award," said Buckley, who set up the Aislinn Center,
which provides support for survivors.
A further report by a commission investigating complaints of child
sexual abuse involving Catholic priests in the Dublin Archdiocese from
the 1970s is due to be completed in coming weeks.
In the United States, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles
agreed to pay $660 million to 500 victims in the largest compensation of
its kind.
(Additional reporting by Carmel Crimmins; editing by Philippa Fletcher)