Taoiseach acknowledges culture of 'calculated cruelty' within schools after documentary

Taoiseach Simon Harris speaking to members of the media outside Government Building in Dublin.  Picture: PA

There was a culture of violence and “calculated cruelty” within schools that have traumatised generations of Irish children, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

In a statement following the airing of an RTÉ documentary – Leathered: Violence in Irish Schools – Mr Harris described the programme as “harrowing viewing”.

He referenced the recent publication of the scoping report, which set out the widespread sexual abuse within religious order run schools.

“The publication of the scoping report, and the painful stories that have been told since, have exposed a culture of violence, of calculated cruelty and the abuse of power that victimised and terrorised generations of Irish children who still bear the wounds and have for all of their lives,” Mr Harris said.

“It is an unbearable burden which we must help lift.” Mr Harris added that he expected an update to be provided to government soon on establishing a Commission of Investigation into clerical sex abuse.

The Taoiseach said that he would reflect on the testimony of survivors, saying that their voices cannot be left “ignored or unheard”.

However, he said that the process cannot be rushed due to the need to get it right and to respect the wishes of any victims that have come forward.

“Their voices which were silenced as defenceless children, even those whose parents tried to stand up against the barrage of brutality, are being heard and their bravery in reliving such terrible memories is testament to a national trauma which must be acknowledged,” Mr Harris said.

Revelations from the programme set out that survivors of physical abuse were excluded from the scoping inquiry into sexual abuse, with one survivor – Dermot Flynn – expressing his deep concern.

“When the Scoping Inquiry was announced, I thought this would have been a great opportunity for us, and I filled in their questionnaire, I communicated with them through email. 

"Then I get the bombshell from them that you weren’t sexually abused, we don’t really want to know about your case. So that made me feel that physical abuse wasn’t that important, even though it had impacted my whole life.” 

While millions of children attended schools while corporal punishment was in place, there were just 117 records within the Department of Education about physical abuse received by children.