Groups welcome president’s calls for prosecutions

Victims' groups this afternoon welcomed calls by President Mary McAleese for criminal prosecutions arising from the Ryan Report.

Ashlinn, Irish Survivors of Child Abuse and the Rape Crisis Network maintain that the biggest issue for victims is to ensure that religious orders whose members abused children don't control restitution funds.

The groups want the Government to clarify how they intend to audit the assets of the orders.

Director of the Rape Crisis Network, Fiona Neary, said the orders had tried to hide their resources in the past:

“We need to see that the Government does hold these religious orders to account,” Ms Neary said.

“There is a long-standing pattern by these religious orders of self-protection and hiding resources in order to not have to fully stand over what happened in the past.

Meanwhile, children’s rights groups are to meet the Minister for Children Barry Andrews tomorrow to discuss the Ryan Report.

They will reiterate their calls for a Referendum on Children’s Rights.