Abuse victims denied advance copies of report

VICTIMS of child abuse at industrial schools and other Catholic schools have expressed disgust at the Child Abuse Commission’s failure to provide them with advance copies of an explosive report before its publication on Wednesday.

Up to 1,600 former pupils have given statements to the Ryan Commission, which was established after a national outcry at the contents of Mary Raftery’s States of Fear documentaries 10 years ago.

Christine Buckley, a former pupil at St Vincent’s Industrial School in Goldenbridge, who set up the Aislinn Centre to help survivors, said victims are being treated like “third-class citizens”.