Support the genuine victims, but defend the falsely accused

ANYBODY watching Questions and Answers on Monday night would be left in no doubt that the attitude of the public to abuse claims relating to orphanages and industrial schools is changing.

First of all, there was general consensus on a point which many media commentators dealing with child sexual abuse issues in recent years have been slow to assert: that most religious were decent and did not abuse people.

The second point on which there was little disagreement among the panellists was that while there may be many genuine claims relating to sexual and physical abuse in the institutions there are undoubtedly false and exaggerated claims as well.