After listening to harrowing stories on the radio over the past 2 days, I am not proud to be Irish. We have a lot to answer for.
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The Conclusions
- Physical and emotional abuse and neglect were features of the institutions.
- The congregations' failure to manage schools led to institutional abuse.
- The "deferential" and "submissive" attitude of the Department of Education towards the congregations compromised its ability to carry out its statutory duty to monitor schools.
- Financial "commitments" made by the religious congregations allowed the industrial school system to thrive.
- More kindness and humanity would have gone far to make up for the poor standards of care.
Physical Abuse
- Regulations regarding use of corporal punishment were disregarded.
- Industrial schools depended on rigid control by means of severe corporal punishment to survive.
- Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from.
- Children who ran away were subjected to extremely severe punishment.
- Complaints by parents and others made to the Department of Education were not properly investigated.
- Corporal punishment in girls' schools was "pervasive, severe, arbitrary and unpredictable".
Sexual Abuse
- Sexual abuse was endemic in boys' institutions.
- Long-term offenders repeatedly abused children wherever they worked.
- When confronted by evidence of sexual abuse, religious authorities responded by transferring the offender to another location where, in many cases, he was free to abuse again.
- Congregational authorities did not listen to or believe people who complained of sexual abuse in the past, despite extensive evidence to the contrary.
- Older boys sexually abused younger boys and the system did not offer the abused boys protection.
- A culture of silence prevented sexual abuse by members of religious orders being brought to the department's attention.
- The Department of Education dealt inadequately with sexual abuse complaints.
Neglect
- Poor standards of physical care were reported by most male and female complainants.
- Children were frequently hungry and food was inadequate, inedible and badly prepared in many schools.
- Children went cold because of inadequate clothing.
- Accommodation was cold, spartan and bleak. Sanitary provision was primitive.
- The standard of education in industrial schools was consistently poorer than in outside schools.
- Industrial training served the institutions' needs rather than the children's.
Emotional Abuse
- Disadvantaged, neglected and abandoned children were subjected to disturbing level of abuse.
- The system made it difficult for individual brothers, priests and nuns who tried to respond to emotional needs of children in their care.
- Witnessing the abuse of other boys and girls had a harrowing effect on children in the schools.
- Separating siblings and other restrictions on family contact were profoundly damaging for family relationships.
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The Conclusions
- Physical and emotional abuse and neglect were features of the institutions.
- The congregations' failure to manage schools led to institutional abuse.
- The "deferential" and "submissive" attitude of the Department of Education towards the congregations compromised its ability to carry out its statutory duty to monitor schools.
- Financial "commitments" made by the religious congregations allowed the industrial school system to thrive.
- More kindness and humanity would have gone far to make up for the poor standards of care.
Physical Abuse
- Regulations regarding use of corporal punishment were disregarded.
- Industrial schools depended on rigid control by means of severe corporal punishment to survive.
- Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from.
- Children who ran away were subjected to extremely severe punishment.
- Complaints by parents and others made to the Department of Education were not properly investigated.
- Corporal punishment in girls' schools was "pervasive, severe, arbitrary and unpredictable".
Sexual Abuse
- Sexual abuse was endemic in boys' institutions.
- Long-term offenders repeatedly abused children wherever they worked.
- When confronted by evidence of sexual abuse, religious authorities responded by transferring the offender to another location where, in many cases, he was free to abuse again.
- Congregational authorities did not listen to or believe people who complained of sexual abuse in the past, despite extensive evidence to the contrary.
- Older boys sexually abused younger boys and the system did not offer the abused boys protection.
- A culture of silence prevented sexual abuse by members of religious orders being brought to the department's attention.
- The Department of Education dealt inadequately with sexual abuse complaints.
Neglect
- Poor standards of physical care were reported by most male and female complainants.
- Children were frequently hungry and food was inadequate, inedible and badly prepared in many schools.
- Children went cold because of inadequate clothing.
- Accommodation was cold, spartan and bleak. Sanitary provision was primitive.
- The standard of education in industrial schools was consistently poorer than in outside schools.
- Industrial training served the institutions' needs rather than the children's.
Emotional Abuse
- Disadvantaged, neglected and abandoned children were subjected to disturbing level of abuse.
- The system made it difficult for individual brothers, priests and nuns who tried to respond to emotional needs of children in their care.
- Witnessing the abuse of other boys and girls had a harrowing effect on children in the schools.
- Separating siblings and other restrictions on family contact were profoundly damaging for family relationships.