Chapter 14 — Children’s Homes

Physical abuse

Twenty nine (29) witnesses from 10 Children’s Homes reported harsh and often unpredictable physical punishment for various other reasons. The circumstances precipitating abuse included neglect of one’s personal care and clothing, not eating the food provided, answering back, the disclosure of sexual abuse and ‘breaking the silence rule’. In one Home witnesses reported that following inspection of their shoes and clothing residents were beaten if the items were soiled, damaged or lost and that losing a stud from one’s boots led to being beaten on the soles of the feet. Others reported that breaking the rule of sleeping with their arms crossed, fainting or falling asleep in the chapel or not responding promptly while praying led to being hit with a cane by staff.

Two (2) witnesses from two Homes reported being sent by care staff to stand waiting for punishment by lay staff in authority for ‘anything that was considered rebellious’ such as talking in the dormitory or ‘answering back’. In both instances the witnesses described that the perpetrators of the beatings had a reputation for severe physical abuse. One witness described anticipating the abuse and demonstrated efforts to protect himself from the assaults: Once you were standing in this big long corridor there would be 2 or 3 ... (co-residents) ... you are not thinking of them, you are just thinking of yourself, which way were you going to do ... demonstrating protecting face with arms ... so you protected yourself with your arm like that but then you got it round the edges .... The worst part was ... you were told at night time they would say “go in to the ... (room) ... wait for me” ... that was the worst part. You knew you were going to get a beating, waiting for the beating you knew what it was going to be like ...(a severe beating) ...

Five (5) witnesses from two Homes reported that there was an atmosphere of bullying and intimidation by older residents. They described being physically and verbally abused, and in some instances they believed this occurred with the knowledge and consent of staff in authority. Two (2) witnesses from one Home believed that older residents were encouraged by the lay resident manager to physically punish younger residents and that they were then rewarded with treats such as extra cigarettes and outings to the cinema: There was a lot of bullying there, not the kids of your own age, there would be the odd scuffle you’d understand that, you know. The boys older than us would beat us up a lot, they would give fearsome beatings. I often ended up with black eyes and face busted to the side, bruises all over me body from kickings.... ... If you complained about it the head people would turn around and say to you, “oh you got that for arguing with a young fellow your own age”, so where do you go from that? They never got disciplined. Actually the main man of the place, who used to run the place, used to use the older boys to do his punishment for him, that’s kinda how he run the place.... The orders were coming from him, we used to get 4 or 5 cigarettes, he’d give them 20 or 30, he was paying them for what they were doing, they would get extra pocket money.

Twenty one (21) witnesses, 15 male and six female, from 10 Children’s Homes reported that they sustained injuries from physical abuse. The types of injuries reported included four mouth and facial injuries, three broken bones, and three head injuries which rendered witnesses unconscious. Many witnesses described being left marked and bleeding. One male witness reported being unconscious following a severe beating by two female lay staff and woke up to find a splint on his arm. Another witness gave an account of bruising to his genitalia following a beating.

Six (6) witnesses, four male and two female, reported receiving medical attention following incidents of physical abuse, and three witnesses reporting attending hospital for treatment of injuries. Two (2) male witnesses who reported being severely physically assaulted in one Children’s Home described attending hospital on three different occasions with injuries to their head and stomach.

Two (2) witnesses from two different Homes reported that following severe beatings by male religious and lay care staff two co-residents were never seen again.

Fifty seven (57) witnesses reported that they were physically abused by 67 perpetrators, including religious and lay staff, co-residents and other adults who had access to the Homes. Fifty four (54) reported abusers were identified by name and the 13 who were not named were described by their position or function within the Home. It is possible that there is some overlap between those identified by name and those who were not named. Table 74 lists the position held and number of reported abusers:

Position of reported physical abusers	Males	Females
Religious
- Authority figure including Resident Manager	8	8
- Care staff	1	13
- Teacher	4	4
- Ancillary worker	0	1
- External priest	1	0
Lay
- Authority figure including Resident Manager	2	1
- Care staff	4	8
- Teacher	3	1
- Ancillary worker	1	0
Weekend or holiday placement carer	1	0
Ex-resident	0	1
Co-resident	3	2
Total	28	39

Twenty six (26) of the female perpetrators of physical abuse were reported to be religious Sisters and 14 were religious Brothers or priests.

Sixteen (16) religious staff reported to be physically abusive were understood to be in positions of authority in the Children’s Homes and were given various titles by witnesses including: Resident Manager, Officer in Charge, Brother in Charge, Reverend Mother or as the Head of the orphanage.

Lay care staff, including residential house-parents, were reported to be involved in the everyday living activities in the Homes, and ancillary workers were generally involved in building, maintenance or farm work. One lay care worker described by a witness as ‘the cruelest person’ was reported by two witnesses as constantly beating residents for no reason. Other lay staff reported as physically abusive were teachers, including three school Principals.

A witness reported being beaten by the Resident Manager on both hands with a cane until he was unable to lift his hands. The Resident Manager was also described as regularly hitting children’s heads off the wall.

The Committee heard evidence regarding three Children’s Homes of consistent and severe physical abuse by a small number of named abusers. One male religious staff member was identified by seven witnesses as a perpetrator of severe physical abuse. He was described by witnesses as ‘brutal’ and ‘vicious’. One witness reported ‘He’d beat the living daylights out of you, especially if you had no one to tell’. Physical abuse was constant and worst at night.... (named religious staff X),...slept in the dormitory and used to beat boys for misbehaviour, he used a leather strap and also a strip of rubber.... He was particularly vicious and appeared to gain pleasure from beating boys. I was beaten severely by...named religious staff Y... when I was returned each time after running away following a beating, he would have helpers for the beatings. I saw one boy stand up to... named religious staff Y. I never saw him ... (co-resident)... again. ... Named religious staff Y... beat boys with a leather strap with pieces of lead at the end ... (he also) ... beat boys with a hurling stick and another... unnamed male religious staff ... used catch the boys behind the door in a head lock and beat them with his fist.

Eight (8) female religious and lay staff in one Children’s Home were identified by many witnesses as physically abusive. A number of these staff members were described as particularly harsh in their punishment of residents and some were reported to have immersed residents who wet the bed in cold baths and held them underwater.

Five (5) witnesses, three male and two female, gave accounts of being physically abused by co-residents. Witnesses from one Home reported that older residents took charge of the residents at playtime with, they believed, the consent of staff. This was described as ‘lookout time’ and was reported to be the likely time for sexual and physical abuse.

Sexual abuse

The use of the child by a person for sexual arousal or sexual gratification of that person or another person.10 This section presents witness evidence of sexual abuse ranging from contact sexual abuse including molestation, vaginal and anal penetration to non-contact sexual abuse such as voyeurism. Some witnesses provided detailed and disturbing accounts of the sexual abuse they experienced, other accounts were sufficient to clarify the nature and extent of the reported abuse.