By Ruth Coppinger
The scale of abuse revealed this week in the Scoping Inquiry into abuse of children in a number of schools is astounding.
Solidarity with all those affected and their families who still bear the scars and carry the legacy of that abuse. So many abused children went on to develop addictions and many other long-term health issues as a result of the heinous trauma inflicted upon them.
This report sets out 2,395 allegations of abuse in schools against 884 alleged abusers. Sickeningly, almost a quarter of the allegations (590) were in 17 schools for children with additional needs.
But bear in mind this inquiry by barrister Mary O’Toole only involved 308 schools run by 42 of the 69 religious congregations that run schools in Ireland. It followed revelations of child sexual abuse in schools run by the Spiritan religious order, particularly Blackrock College, when adult men so bravely spoke out about their ruined childhoods at the hands of abusers there.
Much more still to be uncovered
It indicates a massive under-reporting of male abuse generally. We need a secular and objective sex education programme to educate children about abuse – something the religious orders have resisted and right and far-right forces are currently trying to stop despite their claims of ’protecting children’.
This limited report gives a frightening glimpse of what would be uncovered by an investigation of all schools. The report recommends a commission of investigation be set up and “consideration be given to extending the terms of reference to all schools”.
Nothing short of a public tribunal into all schools must be demanded. For too long, the Irish establishment – when put under pressure by a particular scandal or revelation – has commissioned piecemeal reports. As seen by the official commission into the Mother and Baby Homes, these have been designed to reveal as little as possible, to protect not just the Church but to shield the political establishment too, and indemnify the state financially. We currently have a redress scheme running that consciously excludes so many adoptees and survivors.
Church-State nexus
We need a real reckoning with the gross abuse that took place arising from the inordinate power given to the Catholic Church by the Irish state in the century since independence.
Rather than establish public systems of education, health and care, the Irish establishment handed over control of these to the Church. Education was particularly important as it moulded the minds of children. The Catholic Church resisted any feeble efforts made by the state to establish public education and health. An economically weak and newly independent capitalist establishment was happy to rely on the Church for authority and to maintain control.
This is not just a historic issue: 90% of primary schools are still religiously controlled; just 5% –166 schools – are multi-denominational and attempts to divest have been resisted. All of these religious orders are still running other schools, if not the schools named in this report.
Seize Church assets
Widespread abuse – physical, sexual and emotional – was inevitable when a powerful, secretive institution had such control over children and young people.
Education minister Norma Foley has said a commission will be set up “as soon as possible”, but we can have absolutely no faith in the establishment to deal with this based on their complicity with it. There also should be criminal investigations. Why is no Garda unit dealing with church abuse?
The considerable lands and assets of the religious orders – amounting to billions in this state – should be seized by the state to financially compensate victims and survivors and to fund any further investigations. Lands are being sold off by these orders to vulture funds for housing at huge profit.
All of the records of these orders should be seized for criminal investigations. Schools run by these religious orders should be taken over by the state. We need separation of church and state – now!
