Failure to pay court costs of victims of sex abuse an ‘injustice’

The failure of the Department of Education to pay any of the court costs incurred by the victims of sex abuse in day schools as it has been directed to has been described by one expert as “an obvious injustice”.

Payments of €84,000 have now been offered to 13 applicants who were rejected from an ex gratia (out of court) scheme after an independent review directed the Government to do so. However, in order to have qualified for the scheme, survivors are required to have initiated court proceedings against the State.