Level of abuse in religious schools ‘shocking’ – Foley
by 
Minister for Education Norma Foley has said the level of abuse disclosed in a scoping inquiry report into cases of sexual abuse at several schools run by religious orders spanning several decades was “truly shocking”.
The scoping inquiry report has found that there were 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse in respect of 308 schools recorded by the religious orders that ran those schools. The allegations were made in respect of 884 distinct alleged abusers.
A commission of investigation will now be established, Ms Foley said.
Work will get under way around appointing a chairperson for the commission and drawing up its terms of reference for the inquiry that will have wide-ranging powers.
Ms Foley said the “high-level” group will start working on the terms of reference “immediately” and that there was an “openness” to widening it out to include other schools.
Speaking at a media briefing this evening, Ms Foley said it was “the first time, that the scale of child sexual abuse allegations in schools run by religious orders has been disclosed, based on information supplied by religious orders themselves, and by survivors”.
She added: “The level of abuse is shocking, it is truly shocking, and so is the number of alleged abusers.
“There were 884 alleged abusers in schools of 42 religious orders who currently or previously ran schools in Ireland.”
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Read the report in full:
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4 | Volume 5 (including list of schools)
The minister thanked survivors “for coming forward and sharing their experiences”. She said they have shown “extraordinary courage”.
“The scoping inquiry could not have happened without them and they are absolutely central to the report we are publishing today,” she added.
The inquiry also recommended that the Government consider a redress scheme for survivors of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools.
Ms Foley said the redress scheme was “very much part” of the Government’s consideration and noted that the report said contributions should be made by the religious orders.
She added that there is a “moral duty” for everyone to play their part.
Today’s move by the Government stems from allegations of historic sexual abuse at Blackrock College in Dublin.
The report solely examined schools run by Roman Catholic religious institutions.
In a statement earlier, Minister Foley described the scoping inquiry document as a “harrowing document” that contained “some of the most appalling accounts of sexual abuse”.
She said: “The scale and horror of what people described in their interviews with the scoping inquiry is shocking, and the lasting impact on the lives of those survivors cannot be overstated.
“I have been deeply moved by the courage, fortitude and openness of all those who have shared their experiences.
“I am thinking of all those who came forward today as part of the scoping inquiry process and indeed those who are not in a position to do so at this point in their lives.”
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Minister Foley said that “the principal recommendation of the report of the scoping inquiry, which is for the establishment of a commission of investigation” has been accepted by the Government.
She added: “One of the most compelling aspects of the report is that older participants provided devastating accounts of how sexual abuse in childhood has affected their entire lives, from their schooldays through adolescence, early adulthood and right through to later years.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that the “level and scale of the horrific abuse within schools revealed in the report’s pages is shocking, and there must be full accountability and justice for those abused”.
Some in Government believe the report could be “just the beginning” of a much wider issue and non-Catholic run schools may also have to be included in the inquiry.
It featured brothers Mark and David Ryan, who told their harrowing stories of repeated sexual abuse at the school in south Dublin.
Following its broadcast, many other former students contacted RTÉ’s Liveline programme to talk about what happened to them.
Within a week, 233 men had joined the Ryan brothers in making allegations of historic abuse against members of the Spiritan congregation who co-run Blackrock College as well as other schools run by other religious congregations.
Mark Ryan died suddenly in London aged 62, after a stroke. His brother David said it was a huge shock.
“Mark and I never really talked before. But since the Doc on One, we just got closer and closer. He stood by me, so caring and loving. It’s such a loss. He did everything for me. He was my rock. A rock,” he said.
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Additional reporting: Paul Cunningham, Conor Hunt