Class prejudice at root of all the abuse

IN the wake of the Ryan commission report, something that has been rarely spoken about so far is the hatred of working people and the rural poor that permeated the state and its agencies as well as the Catholic church.

The contempt that the so-called caring professions, the doctors and teachers, as well as the solicitors and judges, had for these young people, in addition to the total disregard shown by the institutions of the state, exposes the fact that this so-called republic was, and is, deeply imbued with class prejudice. Despite the best efforts to cover up, this is its very essence.

There is little evidence that those who committed these crimes are likely to be punished, nor is there any evidence that this report, any more than the many others before it, or the current tribunals, will produce any serious results. The same prejudices and cosy relationships are still entrenched.