Irish Examiner view: We must learn our lesson

Blackrock abuse

Blackrock College in Dublin. The victims of the Spiritans are entitled to justice in its fullest sense.

Since news broke of the appalling levels of child abuse in Blackrock College and other schools run by the Spiritans religious order, there has been a depressing familiarity to the sequence of events.

First we have had the powerful first-hand testimony of survivors, many of them giving eloquent accounts not only of the abuse suffered at the hands of those in authority in the schools, but also confirming how long the effect of that abuse lasted, how it continued to affect their lives for years afterwards.

After that, we have had calls in the Dáil for a specific inquiry into the events, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin adding his voice to those calls for an inquiry and to condemnation of the abuse.

The Taoiseach also said: “The mode and manner in which we go about this are important. We need to learn lessons from previous inquiries.”

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of such inquiries and reports in our past, from the Murphy report into sexual abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin, back to the Ferns report of sexual abuse in the Wexford diocese of the same name.

Neither is there a shortage of lessons which could be learned from those inquiries and reports. One of the most significant of the recent inquiries was the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: The final report it produced was the focus of blistering criticism from survivors of those homes, commentators, and academics.

The reception of that report, and the conduct of the commission itself, should serve as a warning to those appalled by the Spiritans revelations. If the Taoiseach is serious about learning lessons from past inquiries he need look no further than the example of that commission, which refused to appear before an Oireachtas committee to discuss its report.

Having had the courage to come forward and bear witness, the victims of the Spiritans are entitled to justice in its fullest sense. That means those investigating these events need to bear witness also.