Irish Examiner view: Review reveals how the State has utterly failed its children

The sheer scale of the alleged abuse described in the scoping report is breathtaking

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD at a press conference following the launch of the report of the scoping inquiry into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. Picture: Arthur Carron/Collins

To describe the scoping inquiry report, which details allegations of historical sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders, as “a harrowing document” does not even comeclose to capturing the depths of depravity and despair encompassed in it.

The sheer scale of the alleged abuse described in the report is breathtaking. It covers 2,395 allegations of historical sexual abuse at 308 schools run by the religious orders, with allegations being levelled against 884 people. There are 17 special schools where 590 allegations were recorded, involving 190 alleged abusers.