Order must come out of denial

THE already tarnished image of the Christian Brothers is further blackened by the current controversy involving members of the order who sexually abused children in industrial schools.

Amid conflicting claims over the scale of abuse, and whether it was endemic or confined to a minority of brothers, the public confusion is understandable.

That said, there is urgent need for the gardaí to distinguish reality from fiction when they investigate allegations. As evidenced by today’s reports in this newspaper, some brothers, wrongly accused of abuse, ended up behind bars. With their lives and reputations in tatters, it was poor consolation to have their names cleared by the courts.