'Grace' Reports: Time to end this long and shameful saga
It is a year, almost to the day, since the previous government announced a commission of investigation into what has become known as the ‘Grace’ foster home sex abuse scandal.
But no inquiry is under way.
A change of government followed by months of delays has meant, shamefully, that those victims involved in the scandal have been denied justice again.
It is truly shameful.
Just to remind you of what it involved.
It concerns the rape, physical abuse, and neglect of up to 40 children and young adults at a foster home in Waterford over a 20-year period.
All of which was allowed to continue despite health authorities knowing about allegations as far back as 1992.
In Grace’s case, she languished in the home for almost 14 years after a decision was taken to remove her because of concerns.
“One girl, non-verbal, had been raped anally with implements over a prolonged period of time. All of this had been medically attested and confirmed. The young woman cannot be operated on today because so much damage was done that to do so would threaten perforation of her bowel, which might kill her,” is how it has been described by Waterford Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
Deasy, along with his former Public Accounts chairman John McGuinness, lifted the lid on the rape and abuse involving some of the most vulnerable people in the country.
Given the delays, Deasy has become increasingly frustrated and angered at Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath, who he says has abjectly failed to deliver on the promised inquiry.
McGrath has blamed numerous factors for the delay but among them is the supposed refusal of the gardaí to allow the HSE to publish two internal reports into the scandal.
Not buying it and taking matters into his own hands, Deasy on January 3 wrote to Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.
In his letter, Deasy wrote: “There have been a number of delays over the past 10 months or so, one of which centres around the publication of two reports commissioned by the HSE since 2010.”
“The HSE are refusing to publish based on their contention that An Garda Siochána has advised them not to,” he added.
“I need to ask you directly whether it remains An Garda Síochána’s position that these reports should not be published at the present time,” Deasy asked of the Commissioner.
On receipt of Deasy’s letter, O’Sullivan passed on the matter to Assistant Commissioner for the South East Eugene Corcoran to handle.
He replied to Deasy but Corcoran referred Deasy to the Government’s report into the Grace scandal. This report, conducted by Conor Dignam SC, stated that a local Garda commander warned against publishing but senior Garda management took a different view.
Senior Garda management responding to Dignam, concluded that it was a matter for the HSE to publish or not and stated no objection arises where public interest requires their publication.
Dignam clarified that it was a local superintendent who made the request not to publish, but senior management have taken another view.
The response left Deasy cold and he got back on to the Commissioner on January 9, demanding a clearer answer from her.
He said: “Unfortunately, Assistant Commissioner Corcoran avoids the key point I identified in my correspondence to you last week, which is that the Attorney General has expressed the view, that in her opinion there is no reason not to publish the two HSE-commissioned reports in the public interest.”
“I also think it’s worth considering that it may not be in the private and personal interests of certain senior HSE officials to have these reports published. On that basis, relying on these particular individuals to resolve this issue could be perceived as unlikely,” Deasy added.
“A determination can only be made at your level considering the Attorney General has now given a firm view. Otherwise this issue could be potentially left in limbo for years and the public interest will not be served by that,” Deasy concluded.
Fast forward to last Wednesday.
Ms O’Sullivan responded to the TD saying her force has no objection to the reports being published, saying it is a matter for the HSE to make the decision.
“Furthermore, the position of An Garda Síochána on the matter of publication should at all times be understood as being that no objection to publication arises in circumstances where the interests of affected parties and/or the overall public interest require it.
“In particular, no objection to publication arises in circumstances where publication is necessary and appropriate to fulfil any or all obligations to the affected parties,” Ms O’Sullivan wrote to Mr Deasy.
Ms O’Sullivan’s letter is significant and on face value means there is no longer any impediment from publishing the two reports, if there ever was.
Reading through the details of the abuse at the heart of the Grace scandal, suffered by defenceless, intellectually disabled and often mute children and young adults, it is truly stomach turning.
The truth here is that those seeking the truth in this case have met one almighty brick wall and it has taken extraordinary efforts to break that wall.
Deasy was absolutely correct in his letter suggesting there may be people in the HSE who don’t want this report published.
The system failed those people who were unable to fend for their themselves.
Mentally disabled children and young adults — some of whom could not speak.
There are undoubtedly legacy issues and cultures at play here, but the victims at the heart of this unspeakable rape and abuse have been left to swing by the very system charged with their protection.
The HSE should move immediately to publish the reports today. Simple as that.
Finian McGrath should announce the commission of investigation and the name of the chairperson.
Every day this is delayed, the suffering of the victims continues.
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