When will this end for abuse victims?

IN the 2004 John Jay report, a report about the rape of children by clergy, was commissioned by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

It was based on surveys covering a 52-year period in the United States and completed by the Catholic dioceses there.

This fact alone will tell the reader the whole truth and nothing but the truth will be anything but. The surveys gathered was provided from diocesan files on each priest accused of sexual abuse and of their victims. It did not disclose the accused priests names or where they worked. The dioceses were encouraged to provide their own reports though this was not mandatory. A very incomplete report emerged.

The little that did emerge suggests not only that the widespread sexual abuse of children is prevalent within the Catholic church, but is also proof yet again, as if one needed proof at this stage, of a deep and sickening culture within it thoughts, actions and cover-up.

Despite the lies, there were moments of clarity and hesitant truth. Bertie Ahern in 1999 said: “On behalf of the State and of all citizens of the State, the Government wishes to make a sincere and long overdue apology to the victims of childhood abuse for our collective failure to intervene, to detect their pain, to come to their rescue.”

The Ryan Report was less confused when it said this about Ireland’s child prisons: “Testimony had demonstrated beyond a doubt that the entire system treated children more like prison inmates and slaves than people with legal rights and human potential. Some religious officials encouraged ritual beatings and consistently shielded their orders amid a ‘culture of self-serving secrecy‘, and that government inspectors failed to stop the abuses.“

It also included in its findings testimony of the beatings and rapes of children, who were subject to naked beatings in public, being forced into oral sex and even subjection to beatings after failed rape attempts by Christian brothers.

Of course in true Irish style, the Ryan report could not prosecute or sanction the parties involved. It was easy to know why for yet another report found collusion between State, Church and the police.

Today, we will have the Cloyne Report and with it begs the question again: When will all this end for victims? When will this government get rid of this Roman state within our own state? When will our institutions, our schools, our hospitals be returned? When will our constitution be respected and used to get rid of this cancer for there are many more dioceses to go and even more victims yet to be heard?

Barry Clifford

Child Aware

Oughterard

Galway