Cork schools express horror at scoping inquiry findings

Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, Carrignavar, Cork. File picture: Larry Cummins

Cork schools at the centre of historical abuse allegations have expressed their “horror” at the findings of the scoping inquiry which outlined details of relentless sexual violence.

Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, College Rd, Carrignavar, had one one of the highest levels of sexual abuse allegations, 42, in Cork. 

The school, which at the time of the alleged abuse was run by Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, has vowed to co-operate with the inquiry.

The school said in a statement: “The board of management of Coláiste an Chroí Naofa expresses its horror at the findings of the Scoping Inquiry which references 42 allegations against four alleged abusers at our school at a time when it was a boarding school. 

"We express our deep and heartfelt sympathies to all those affected. 

"We welcome that survivors have been given an opportunity to tell their stories and to be heard and supported.

“The board of management has co-operated fully with the scoping inquiry and will co-operate with any future commission. 

"The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart who were trustees of the school at the time have assured us that they have also fully co-operated with the inquiry and are committed to co-operating with any future commission.”

Presentation Brothers College in Cork City released a statement in response to one allegation involving one abuser.

In the statement, it expressed contempt for the alleged abuse generally, which dates back to the 1960s and impacts survivors who are now in their 50s, 60s, and 70s: “All of us here at Presentation Brothers College share the revulsion expressed by the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, in her statement on September 3 when commenting on the sexual abuse of children in schools run by religious orders and congregations including Presentation Brothers College. Our thoughts and prayers are firmly with the victims today.”

Brothers of Charity accounted for 294 of the overall allegations in special schools with 119 allegations cited in Holy Family School, Renmore, Galway, nine allegations in St Mary’s, Rochestown and 166 allegations made at the Brothers of Charity’s Lota in Glanmire.

Lota House, Cork. File picture

Margaret Best, who first spoke out about her non-verbal son suffering abuse at Lota in a newspaper interview in 2011, said: “When I took my son home in the car that day [for the last time] he had his head in his hands. He shied away from every one of us. It took a long time for me to gain his trust again.

“Before I was only his voice, but now I want to be a voice for families who are too afraid to speak up.

“An abuser will not stop at somebody who cannot speak. They will be pick the easy targets. These children will have to matter. Even though they are adults now they cannot be ignored.

“There is no way we can whitewash this. They didn’t care about who their victims were. They will face their God someday, but in the meantime, I would like the Government to recognise what those children went through.”

Ms Best spoke about the lasting impact the abuse had on her mental health: “I’ve had to live with this guilt for so much of my life after I was forced by so-called professionals at the time to put him into a place like this.

“I was told he would get an education there but they gave him nothing. My son is with his family now, but that will never change what happened to him.”