Nun’s vindication - Grave wrong has been put right

THE vindication of a former nun, wrongly sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a young girl that never happened, deserves to be loudly applauded.

Unfortunately, while certain members of religious orders were undoubtedly guilty of abusing those entrusted to their care, the majority were tarred unfairly with the same brush even though many were completely innocent of such charges.

Thankfully, the 1999 conviction of Nora Wall on false evidence for attacking a girl at St Michael’s Childcare Centre in Cappoquin, Co Waterford, in the late 1980s, was quashed within days after it emerged a witness at the trial had been called contrary to a direction from the DPP. After enduring untold suffering, Ms Wall will derive deep solace from yesterday’s ruling of Justice Nicholas Kearns, who found the rape conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

Not only is justice done, it is seen to be done and a grave wrong has been put right.