Investigation into claims of organised paedophile rings preying on school children

Participants reported that their school 'had multiple staff members involved in either carrying out or facilitating sexual abuse, and some participants expressed the view that a paedophile ring was operating'. File picture: Larry Cummins

Victim support groups have said many more victims of sex abuse in schools are likely to come forward, as gardaí investigate accusations that organised paedophile rings were preying on schoolchildren.

Deirdre Kenny, the chief executive of the victim support organisation, One in Four, said the organisation's helpline was inundated with calls in the 24 hours after a new report detailed the sheer scale of the abuse in schools across the country. 

Ms Kenny said the number of callers indicates that there could be many more victims who have not yet reported their experience.

A scoping report into abuse at schools run by religious orders found almost 2,400 allegations of abuse against 884 abusers in 308 schools across 24 counties.

The material collected during the inquiry has been passed to gardaí, but more than half of those accused are now dead. 

Gardaí have cautioned that there will be limits to their investigations due to, in some cases, the "unavailability of evidence over time or suspects and/or witnesses being deceased".

'Extensive investigations'

However, one Garda source said there will be extensive investigations into accusations that paedophile rings were in operation.

The scoping report, compiled by senior counsel Mary O'Toole, says participants reported that their school "had multiple staff members involved in either carrying out or facilitating sexual abuse, and some participants expressed the view that a paedophile ring was operating". 

Participants suspected that individuals were facilitating other staff members to abuse children.

It quotes one survivor saying there was a system of collusion involved.

"It was very clear there was a conspiracy going on. There were 12 priests present and nine were paedophiles. Three were involved with me together on one occasion, and [also] apart."

The participant referred to the school being run as a paedophile ring.

You wouldn’t want to hear what else they did to me. You would wonder about the world. It was an orchestrated machine that ran for years and is still running.

Another survivor is quoted as saying it is "hard to believe there was no complicity". 

The report quotes the survivor saying that 'fetish underwear' was given to fit 12-year-olds.

"You need to have access to catalogues or resources to help you buy fetish clothes to fit little boys and you don’t do that on your own. 

"There must have been complicity and enabling and turning a blind eye. 

"And I should not have been able to walk out of that priest’s bedroom without questions being asked."

The Government has agreed to establish a commission of investigation into the allegations, with government sources saying it is likely to be years before its work is completed. 

Alongside that, work is ongoing to establish a redress scheme.

Based on the figures in the scoping inquiry alone, and the average payment from similar schemes, around €80m is seen as the minimum amount a scheme would cost. 

However, that would rise significantly if more victims come forward.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.