Abused children were let down by the state

MOTHERS Alliance Ireland believes Lynda Finneran is right when she claims (Letters, October 30) that “the power and duty of the state to act to protect children in such situations (as in the Roscommon case) is recognised by the constitution”.

Article 42:5 says: “In exceptional cases, where the parents for physical or moral reasons fail in their duty towards their children, the state as guardian of the common good, by appropriate means shall endeavour to supply the place of the parents, but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child.”

By the year 2000, the state had sufficient evidence to prove to the courts that the Roscommon case satisfied this article of the constitution and that these parents were, unfortunately, incapable of protecting their children. Obviously the state didn’t fight the case properly in the High Court and it is the state that let these children down.

Even the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, agrees that changing the constitution would not have prevented or ended the abuse suffered by the Roscommon children. In fact, changing the constitution as the children’s rights lobby desires could ultimately lead to far greater abuses of children by the state and its agencies.

A children’s referendum is neither necessary nor desired. Constitutional protection exists as it stands. It’s time politicians stopped pretending otherwise.

Nora Bennis

National Spokesperson

Mothers Alliance Ireland

O’Connell Street

Limerick