We did not mistreat report, says department

Department of Justice officials said it would “never be their intention” to treat the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman “with anything other than the highest of respect”.

Their comments follow Emily Logan’s revelation that she believed the department “were sneering” at a report she had published on St Patrick’s Institution two years ago.

A report by the Inspector of Prisons released this week found serious human rights breaches at St Patrick’s including offenders having their clothes removed by force while others had family visits prohibited as a form of punishment.