Magdalenes demand apology

The State’s involvement in the de-facto imprisonment of women at the infamous Magdalene laundries can only be resolved if an immediate apology, pensions and “lost” wages are given to those affected.

The claim was made by the Justice for Magdalenes group at a private meeting with Senator Martin McAleese, the independent chair of a Government committee investigating their experiences, yesterday.

The Leinster House meeting was organised to allow for the views of women directly affected by their time in Magdalene laundries, and in some cases their children, to be addressed in a review report on the issue.

This document is expected to be published sometime in early autumn, although the exact timeline has not been made public.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, a Justice for Magdalenes spokesperson said it is the group’s view that the state and its officials were directly involved in the shocking experiences of women at the facilities.

“In the testimonies already gathered, all survivors told us that they could not leave the laundries, that the doors were locked and the windows inaccessible. If they did try to leave they were returned by the gardaí, while others decided not to try to escape because they knew the same fate awaited them,” said spokesperson Claire McGettrick.

The meeting was also attended by Katherine O Donnell, director of women’s studies at UCD’s school of social justice, and James Smith of Boston College — both of whom believe their is “ample evidence” of state involvement in what happened.