Ryan Commission on Child Abuse. (12.06.06)

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Tuesday June 13, 2006 12:16

by chris murray - the unmanageables

Bureaucratic Balm in the wake of Constitutional Crisis.

A civil Servant on behalf of the Department of Education and Science,
yesterday attended the Ryan commission on Child Abuse ,(previously
the Laffoy Commisssion on Child Abuse- 1999-2003) to apologise
to the victims of Church/State disregard for the health and well-being of
generations of industrial school children.
Whilst applauding the attempt to recitfy the deep wrongs of the Era
through apology , it has come three years too late. The State continues to deny
its role in the obstruction of the work of the Laffoy Committee, not has it
exposed the machinations of the dept of education and Science headed up
by Michael Woods that signed the Church/ State indemnity deal which absolved
the Church from paying full compensation to victims.

Reconcilliation that works depends on words being allied to actions.

The abuse of children that occured summarily in the industrial schools, Magdalene
laundries and Children's hospitals has not been owned by the State. The admittance, yesterday by a civil servant that there were only 8 inspectors for hundreds of these
schools and thousands of children. {(8 civil service inspectors) not carers, social workers, but inspectors}. That St Joesph's school was not inspected for three years running... this statement of responsibility must be backed up with action.

Including : Listening to the victims.
Apologising to the victims.
Compensating the Victims.

The State has a responsibility to dismantle the Wood's indemnity deal
and to offer the papers and reports denied to and leading to the resignation of
Justice Mary Laffoy.(three years ago)
Three years after Mary Laffoy resigned a civil servant of the Dept of Education and Science attended the (now) Ryan Commission on Child Abuse to lay before it an apology.

The wound of generations of young man and women who suffered this abuse deserve
more than this. It is a start but the words are not enough.

Justice laffoy was subject to derisory comment for working from 1999-2003
on the issue of Child abuse in this State:

"There are signs of after five years of tortously slow progress
that cost the state 10million euro that the investigation is finally being
handled properly"*

(On Laffoy's resignation)*

Three years after Justice John Ryan took over, in the wake of a constitutional
crisis on child abuse (replied to by the absurdity of section 5, Criminal law
(sexual offences) 2006. One senior servant from the Dept of Education and
Science apologises to victims of Church/State abuse.

Release the files.
Apologise for obstructing Laffoy.
Dismantle the indemnity Fund.

{ google laffoy Commission}

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Ryan Commission on Child Abuse. (12.06.06)