Report: Victims say childhood ‘ended the day violence began’ in Irish Catholic schools

The Irish government is set to set up a formal commission of inquiry into sexual abuse in schools run by Catholic religious orders, after initial inquiries revealed that complaints of such abuse have been made for decades.

“The report confirms that this is not just a church problem, but a society-wide problem – there are wider cultural norms at play, not just religious ones,” said Gerard Gallagher, spokesman for the Dublin-based Association of Missionary Leaders and Religious of Ireland, or AMRI.

“However, we have been dealing with church-related scandals for 30 years and have always encouraged full cooperation in conducting investigations,” he said.

The Catholic layman was responding to a report from a government-commissioned inquiry that detailed 2,395 cases of abuse in 308 schools run under the orders since the 1960s.

He told OSV News that the association had been asked to ensure that its 135 members were complying with the investigation while continuing to work on allegations of abuse reported by the Vatican.

The Scoping Inquiry, led by barrister Mary O’Toole, began in 2022 after Irish public radio RTE broadcast a documentary exposing abuse at the prestigious Blackrock College in Dublin, one of five schools run by the Holy Ghost Fathers, or spiritualists.

The 802-page report, published on September 3, listed 884 clerical and lay staff accused of abuse, from 42 of the 73 religious orders involved in education.

The report warns that the total number of victims may be higher than currently reported due to underreporting and could reach 15,300 men and 26,000 women, according to the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

According to the report, the religious orders facing the most accusations included the Sisters of Charity, the Prezentki Brothers, and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, although accusations also concerned the Carmelites, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, and Christian Brothers.

Many of the 149 people who gave testimony cited “brutal violence”, the report said, while abuse was “so widespread” that survivors believed it “could not have gone unnoticed by other staff, members and leaders of religious orders”.

Victims described mental health issues and “unhealthy coping mechanisms” related to alcohol and drug problems. These problems continued into adulthood, including sexual dysfunction, relationship difficulties and lost professional opportunities.

“Many people said their childhood ended the day the abuse occurred,” the report says.

They felt that the power of the Catholic Church permeated their lives at every turn, but they could not tell anyone this, not even their parents.

“Many described how they had become so alienated from religion and church services, to the point that some avoided attending a parent’s funeral or other family events because they were unable to enter the church.”

Ireland’s Education Minister Norma Foley described the scale of abuse revealed in the “harrowing document” as “truly shocking” and told a press conference on September 3 that it was vital that the “needs of victims” remained at the forefront of the response to the report.

Meanwhile, in a September 3 statement, AMRI said it was “deeply saddened” and “fully aware” that “sharing personal, sensitive and traumatic experiences may cause additional pain and suffering.”

“We encourage anyone who needs support to contact their individual religious orders and congregations to get the help they need,” the association added. “It is crucial to reiterate that all Catholic schools have rigorous child protection structures in place to maximise the safety of every student.”

The report is the latest of several published since the 1990s to look at abuse in the Irish church. In 2006, the church established a National Council for Safeguarding Children.

In May 2009, a 2,600-page government-commissioned report cited abuse testimonies against 200 Catholic schools and dozens of church institutions, prompting Pope Benedict XVI to write a letter of apology and organize an apostolic visitation to the country.

However, it is widely believed that the continuing accusations against the Catholic clergy have weakened the traditional influence of the Church, which, according to the 2022 census, comprised 69% of Ireland’s 5.15 million people.

The Scoping Inquiry report said victims of abuse had called for a public inquiry and remedial programme “as soon as possible” to “prevent any cover-up” and “establish what was known to religious orders and the school’s management at the time and what action was taken”.

But he warned that limiting investigations to Catholic schools alone would be “arbitrary and difficult to justify” and said a future commission should look at all Irish schools, using a “trial approach” if necessary.

In a statement on September 3, AMRI said all schools operating under the orders now follow the government’s child protection procedures, as amended in 2023, and report any allegations of abuse to police.

He added that religious orders have protective procedures in place that are “monitored and checked” by government officials and are in line with “relevant state laws and guidelines.”

However, AMRI spokesman Gallagher said experts from his association were reviewing the Scoping Inquiry report for further action, adding that individual orders would also use its findings to tighten their own policies and procedures.

“Judging by the media response, many people have a positive impression of the ongoing cooperation — but this is only the beginning of the whole investigative process,” a Catholic layman told OSV News.

“As for the likely long-term impact on the position of the Catholic Church in Ireland, that will depend on the terms of reference of the future commission of inquiry.”

The Communications Office of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference did not respond to OSV News’ request for comment from the church on the new report.