Chapter 13 — Special needs schools and residential services

Emotional abuse

Four (4) witnesses gave accounts of their lives being threatened by groups of co-residents who bullied them. One witness reported to a staff member that he was being sexually abused and bullied by a group of co-residents, which resulted in further abuse from his co-residents. He reported that they held him over a stairwell and threatened to drop him the next time he told anyone that he was being abused. He was further threatened that his younger sibling would be punished in the same way. Another witness reported being threatened that he would be pushed from a height if he disclosed physical abuse and bullying by co-residents. They ... (older co-residents)... brought me up to the top of ... in the grounds and held my hands behind my back and pushed me over to look down off it, I thought they were going to push me down off it, lucky enough someone was passing by and they saw what was happening and they stopped, when the fellas saw who was there they ran away.

Several witnesses described the distress they experienced as a result of hearing and seeing co-residents being beaten and humiliated. The sound of other children being beaten was reported to be particularly distressing in addition to the pervasive fear generated in an environment where, as the following witnesses described, there was a constant threat of being hurt: You see a lot of the trouble for me was listening to fellas getting beaten, listening to fellas being flogged. I remember a fella who used to shake himself and shake his hands and things like that, he was quite bad at it. This Br ...(X)... got an idea into his head that he would stop this fella from doing these things. Every time he saw him doing it he’d slap him, he’d stop him by hitting him. Eventually he stopped...shaking... during the day, he’d wag in the bed at night and the bed was a noisy springy bed. This Brother would beat him in bed at night. ... That chap became a bed-wetter after that happened. The bed-wetters, I’d hear the screams, it would give me a dry retch even though I had nothing in my stomach, it used to affect me very badly. • He... (lay teacher)... beat them ...(co-residents)... around the room like cattle, they would be crashing into desks and he would say “would you mind my lovely furniture”. It was very bad listening to it. I couldn’t learn, you couldn’t learn in the atmosphere of violence ... if you didn’t give an answer you‘d get battered.

Knowledge of abuse

Witnesses believed that much abuse was reported at the time and that staff and residents were aware of it or had observed it, and people outside the institution were also told about it. Witnesses also observed the abuse of their co-residents. Witnesses reported that disclosures of abuse were at times investigated with positive results. Other witnesses stated they were either ignored or punished.

Witnesses generally reported having great difficulty in finding ways of disclosing their abuse to anyone. In all instances the witnesses’ particular disability was described as a barrier to communication and disclosure, both at the time and subsequently. A number stated that this difficulty was particularly highlighted when addressing such a sensitive topic as sexual abuse. I never told my parents because I didn’t know what to say ... and I didn’t know if they’d believe me and it’s only now, many years later, that these secrets are out in the open and the Brothers can be challenged and that is why I’m here to tell you. • I reported to the ...lay Principal.... I do feel it’s ...(sexual abuse)... my fault, I told him ...(named lay ancillary worker)...I didn’t want sex but he wouldn’t listen to me. I wish I could forget about it but I can’t, it makes me sick and angry.

Twenty six (26) witnesses reported telling someone at the time that they were being abused, 19 of those witnesses stated they were believed, but not necessarily with positive consequences. Disclosures were most often made to parents, staff and authority figures within the school. There were isolated accounts of disclosure to the gardaí and a visiting priest. ‘I ran away once, the police found me. I tried to tell them I wasn’t happy and what was happening, but they wouldn’t believe me.’ Another witness gave the following account of what happened when his mother complained about physical abuse: My mother was washing me, she seen the bruises, my older brother saw black and blue. I didn’t understand, I was used to it. She said “what happened, where did you get that?” I had bruises all over my body. She wrote a letter to the head Brother and he sent for my mother. My mother and me went to talk to him and he said it wouldn’t happen again. I was about 8 or 9. After that, the next day, a few Brothers beat me up and said “shut your mouth”. They beat me up... really it was terrible. My mother did complain but what could you do?

Witnesses with intellectual disabilities described being bullied and threatened by staff and co-residents not to tell others they were being abused. They also reported being punished and further abused when they disclosed their abuse to others. The impact of this experience was made evident to the Committee by a number of witnesses who sought reassurance from accompanying companions and from the Commissioners that they would not be punished or ‘get in trouble’ for attending the Commission.

Seven (7) witnesses reported that when they told staff they were being abused they were not believed and the staff did nothing to address the reported complaint. Witnesses commented on the fact that disclosure often resulted in being punished for ‘telling tales’. In other circumstances witnesses reported that while their disclosure was punished, the abuse subsequently stopped. I went back to the orphanage and told them that I was being abused, she... (person in charge)... told me “you are always causing trouble”, she wouldn’t listen to me. She told me I was lying. How can any child... (make up something like that )... she wouldn’t listen to me. I didn’t even know what sexual abuse was. I thought it was the right thing, he was giving me money. When I tried to explain to one of the nuns that he was touching me she said “there you are, lying again” and pushed me away.

The Committee heard evidence that in seven instances the offender was removed from the school following disclosure to either the witnesses’ parents or staff within the school. An additional three witnesses reported being separated from abusive co-residents that led to a cessation in the abuse for some time. Another witness reported that religious staff in charge of one school appeared to be aware of sexual abuse among residents and became more vigilant in their supervision of recreation time.

Two (2) other witnesses reported that their parents wrote letters of complaint to the person in charge who subsequently met them and minimised the seriousness of the disclosed abuse. ‘I told my parents, they believed me, as far as I know. My mother wrote to ...named lay teacher... but it made no difference.’ There was no positive outcome for these witnesses. Another witness’s father intervened and spoke to the person in charge, it was believed the reported abuser was reprimanded but not removed. Following parental intervention another witness reported being removed from the residential part of the service to continue attending as a day pupil.

A positive example of external intervention was provided by a witness who complained repeatedly to staff that he was being bullied by older co-residents and was punished in response. Despite his complaints being ignored by staff he persisted in complaining about being constantly picked on and taunted by a group of older boys whom he feared. The witness reported that one day this group of co-residents threatened his life in a public place. A passing member of the public saw what was happening and intervened ‘Actually a doctor rang the staff and they were told off for it. ... I think they were a bit afraid after that.’

Positive experiences

Twenty six (26) witnesses reported having some positive memories of their time in the special needs schools and services. The kindness of religious and lay staff was often reported in relation to admission to the facilities and the assistance provided to witnesses when they were leaving. Fourteen (14) witnesses commented on the good experience of having kind teachers and 11 religious staff were named as particularly kind by a number of witnesses. Some of the nuns were very, very nice. I can’t take that away from them... I’d have to say they were fairly good to us....There was one nun, Sr ...Y..., she was a nice person, she took me and said “listen, you aren’t a bad person”. • The... (lay care worker)... was one of the nicest, kindest people ever in my life, he would give us chocolate to keep us quiet, rocked us to sleep. I don’t remember anything bad ever happening with him.

Three (3) other witnesses commented on the positive changes introduced by new staff, particularly those in authority. One of those witnesses reported that, following such a change, more thorough assessments took place, as a result of which the witness was transferred to another facility where his particular educational needs were addressed.

Ten (10) witnesses commented positively on the level of care provided to them and the general and academic education they received. They commented on the beneficial outcome to them of treatment and training provided by the special needs services. In a small number of instances witnesses reported that their families were unable to care adequately for them or that they were abused and neglected prior to their admission. The witnesses remarked that their placement in the special needs school or service had a protective component for which they were grateful.

Six (6) witnesses commented that family visits and the opportunity to go home for holidays and be outside the institutions were the most positive memories of their time there.

Current circumstances

The following section summaries the information provided by witnesses during their hearings regarding their adult lives, including details about relationships, employment and parenting. It also identifies some of the reported ongoing effects of childhood abuse in the witnesses’ lives.