THE role of the Irish state and society in enabling the abuse and neglect of tens of thousands of children in religious-run institutions has come under the spotlight in an Amnesty report.
The In Plain Sight report, commissioned by the Irish section of the international human rights group, examines the Ferns, Ryan, Murphy and Cloyne Reports into abuses by Catholic priests and religious in dioceses and institutions, but says the Catholic Church was not alone to blame.
Colm O’Gorman, the executive director of Amnesty Ireland, said some of the early responses to the four reports had amounted to "scapegoating and two-dimensional blame".
"The reports identify what happened, but what has been absent from broader discourse is why it happened. All this happened in plain sight. It’s not that these things were not known."
Dr Carole Holohan, the author of the study, said dismissive attitudes to poor families, deference to the Church, lack of legal protections and the absence of state and regulation, all contributed.
Among her key findings were that there were no clear lines of responsibility for children in care and so no procedures for fostering or ensuring accountability.
"It wasn’t that the system didn’t work, but rather that there was no system."
She also found the law was skewed against children in residential institutions because they were generally committed by the courts so they were branded criminals in the public eye.
"Fear, an unwillingness and an inability to question agents of the Church, and disbelief of the testimony of victims until recent times, indicate that wider societal attitudes had a significant role to play in allowing abuse to continue," she said.
The state had also had a "deferential relationship with the Catholic Church" which caused politicians and officials to dismiss the concerns of parents, children and lay workers.
Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald said: "At every turn, Irish people kept their mouths shut out of deference to state, system, Church and community. When they should have been unified in fury and outrage they were instead silenced, afraid to even whisper a criticism against the powerful.
"The fundamental lesson for all of us is that we must create a society in which no one is afraid to speak or afraid to challenge those in power. We must make sure that no system or no people are allowed to become so important that lives are destroyed to protect reputations."
She said legislation to put the Children First guidelines on a statutory footing, to regulate the Garda vetting of people working with children, and to introduce mandatory reporting was all pending.
She also said a referendum of children’s rights remained a priority and would take place next year, although she could not give a date.
Colm O’Gorman, the executive director of Amnesty Ireland, said some of the early responses to the four reports had amounted to "scapegoating and two-dimensional blame".
"The reports identify what happened, but what has been absent from broader discourse is why it happened. All this happened in plain sight. It’s not that these things were not known."
Dr Carole Holohan, the author of the study, said dismissive attitudes to poor families, deference to the Church, lack of legal protections and the absence of state and regulation, all contributed.
Among her key findings were that there were no clear lines of responsibility for children in care and so no procedures for fostering or ensuring accountability.
"It wasn’t that the system didn’t work, but rather that there was no system."
She also found the law was skewed against children in residential institutions because they were generally committed by the courts so they were branded criminals in the public eye.
"Fear, an unwillingness and an inability to question agents of the Church, and disbelief of the testimony of victims until recent times, indicate that wider societal attitudes had a significant role to play in allowing abuse to continue," she said.
The state had also had a "deferential relationship with the Catholic Church" which caused politicians and officials to dismiss the concerns of parents, children and lay workers.
Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald said: "At every turn, Irish people kept their mouths shut out of deference to state, system, Church and community. When they should have been unified in fury and outrage they were instead silenced, afraid to even whisper a criticism against the powerful.
"The fundamental lesson for all of us is that we must create a society in which no one is afraid to speak or afraid to challenge those in power. We must make sure that no system or no people are allowed to become so important that lives are destroyed to protect reputations."
She said legislation to put the Children First guidelines on a statutory footing, to regulate the Garda vetting of people working with children, and to introduce mandatory reporting was all pending.
She also said a referendum of children’s rights remained a priority and would take place next year, although she could not give a date.
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