February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN – A last minute rush has more than doubled the number of people coming forward to give evidence to the Government commission investigating claims of physical and sexual abuse in childcare institutions over the last 60 years.
Over 2,500 now want to appear before the two-tier Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse set up by the Government last year under High Court judge Mary Laffoy.
Applications have poured in, not just from Ireland, but also from people now living in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and European countries, claiming they had suffered abuse.
In an interim report in May, the Commission said over 1,238 alleged victims had approached it. Overall, 76 of those who had come forward were over the age of 70.
Commission staff are now sorting through boxloads of new applicants that were made before the final deadline for applicants closed last week (July 31).
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“We had an enormous number that arrived just before the deadline,” a spokesman said.
“There are large numbers from Ireland and the UK in particular and a scattering from places like Australia, Canada, Europe and America. It would have over doubled what we had in May.”
The “confidential” tier of the Commission has been holding hearings since last September from adults who claim they suffered abuse as children in reform schools, orphanages, children’s homes and hospitals since 1940 and, if necessary, earlier.
Those travelling from abroad can apply to get travel and subsistence allowances and to bring a companion whose expenses are also paid. Or they can bring a professional counsellor whose fee and expenses will be paid.
The Commission was established after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern made an unprecedented apology in 1999 to victims on behalf of the country.
He acknowledged that abuse in state-funded institutions had ruined the childhood of many.
Often, victims had reported abuses when they were children but were not believed
Major inquiries by Gardai into many of the institutions are still ongoing. A number of religious orders have already apologised to victims who had been in their care.
The Commission will make recommendations on how to deal with the continuing effects of abuse and protect children in institutions now and in the future.
At one level, the Commission sits as a “confidential” committee and is designed to be a sympathetic forum to listen to victim’s stories of their experiences while preserving their anonymity.
To avoid affecting the “therapeutic effect”, those giving evidence to this committee will not be required to take an oath. The report of the confidential committee will not name anybody or any institution in its report.
A second “investigative” committee will fully probe the allegations, call witnesses and cross-examine those appearing before it. The spokesman said it has held some hearings but will be going at “full steam” from next month (September).
After initial investigation of complaints, this committee can hold hearings in public.
An extra member of the Commission is to be appointed by the Government to help it also investigate allegations children were used as guinea pigs in vaccine drug trials while they were in care.