Chapter 14 — Children’s Homes

Emotional abuse

A number of witnesses who had no contact with any family member and had been reared in institutional care reported that they had no experience of any demonstration of affection and were deprived of any emotional bond. The absence of the opportunity to form a secure attachment was reported to contribute to a sense of disconnection in relationships, both at the time and in adult life. In these circumstances witnesses commented that special attention, demonstrations of affection or treats occasionally available from staff and others, including volunteer workers, made them vulnerable to abuse. In the course of their hearings many expressed distress and unresolved anger that their emotional needs as children were not met.

The lack of emotional support or comfort in dealing with the death of a parent or sibling was described by a small number of witnesses. One witness reported that on returning from his father’s funeral he was told to ‘stop snivelling ... he is dead. Now you have no one to go to with your tales’.

Nineteen (19) witnesses, 17 male and two female, described their experience of fear, distress and shame when they were forced to observe co-residents being severely beaten. Eleven (11) of the witnesses reported witnessing severe physical abuse of their co-residents in four Children’s Homes. One witness named four other residents whom he witnessed being severely beaten and commented that they were ‘subjected to extremes of brutality’. Another witness commented: ‘... Named male religious staff... was particularly vicious to boys without parents, the orphans’.

Four (4) witnesses from one Children’s Home, which was the subject of reports of physical and sexual abuse, identified the same religious staff member as the person who abused their co-residents. Witnesses described unresolved anger and upset about what they observed and a number were distressed in the process of recounting what had happened to their childhood peers. Named male religious staff...would lose his temper and beat boys viciously, I was hit by him, but I watched severe violence to older boys. In particular I saw ...named co-resident... so severely beaten until he was unable to stand up, he beat him as one man would do to another and not as a man to a boy. He punched him under the chin, about the face and body, and left him in a heap. • Looking back as an adult I did receive abuse, some terrible attacks, but I think psychologically I’d be left more with what I witnessed than what I received. When I was on the receiving end, you just kept your head down, you put yourself into a ball, you didn’t see what was happening to you. Somehow the mind switches off, somehow you can accept it, you just put your head down and stay going and pick yourself up. Personally what I witnessed left more of a scar than what I received.

Ten (10) witnesses reported being deprived of contact with their family members, including five who reported being separated from siblings placed in the same Children’s Homes. Others described being deprived of visits from parents and family members as a punishment for the breach of a rule or, they believed, to prevent them revealing an injury or disclosing abuse. Witnesses also reported being forbidden to speak to their older siblings in the same institution.

The loss of identity was compounded for witnesses by separation from their siblings. Other witnesses described the loss and disadvantage they experienced both at the time and in their later lives, due to the lack of information provided about their family, their birth and the circumstances of their admission.

One witness gave an account of a visit from her mother to advise of her imminent plan to emigrate: as it was not a scheduled visiting day the nun in charge did not allow use of the parlour and terminated the visit. Another witness reported that the religious Resident Manager was believed ‘not to like women and tried to actively discourage my relationship with my sister. He took much the same line with my mother and this was hard.... I knew she ... (mother)... cared for me’.

Others reported that letters were opened and that ‘the nuns dictated letters to parents, you could never tell anyone how unhappy you were’.

Five (5) witnesses reported that the consistent use of a number rather than their own name deprived them of their individual identity. One witness commented that she did not know the names of other children who were her daily companions ‘only their number’. A female witness reported having her name changed when she was admitted, as she did not have a saint’s name. Another witness described being physically and verbally abused: Sr ...X... used every opportunity to demean me by calling me by my number, prodding me with her large crucifix on her Rosary beads, beating me with a strap for infringements of discipline. She blamed me for the death of a classmate ... for failing to swallow the host at Holy Communion and ... (then)... vomiting, saying “even God doesn’t want you”.

A number of witnesses who had no information about their family or were unaware of their family history commented on the difficulties this created in adult life when they attempted to trace their family of origin. One witness reported that his surname had been changed from his original family name while in out-of-home care. Another witness described inventing a fictitious family history to avoid revealing that he had spent his childhood in an institution. A further witness reported that he was unable ‘to face returning’ to Ireland, in spite of a wish to trace his family, because of the ongoing impact of his childhood experience of abuse.

Knowledge of abuse

Witnesses stated that staff and co-residents were aware of the physical and emotional abuse inflicted on residents due to the fact that it frequently occurred in public and on a daily basis. Witnesses also reported disclosing abuse to their parents, relatives and people in authority, both within the institution and outside, including to Gardaí and other professionals. The investigation and outcome of abuse disclosures varied as outlined below.

The Committee heard evidence from 58 witnesses, 36 males and 22 females, that the abuse they experienced was observed by many people including lay and religious staff, teaching staff in schools outside the Homes, and other residents. A number of witnesses believed that there was knowledge and awareness of abuse as a result of the presence of the following adults and co-residents during the abuse episodes: Other residents 48 reports Care staff 21 reports Authority figures 13 reports Ancillary staff 8 reports Teaching staff 3 reports.

Thirteen (13) witnesses reported that abusive behaviour was a way of life in the Children’s Homes and that they believed staff and residents were powerless to do anything to stop it. Witnesses believed that staff members were afraid of losing their jobs, and co-residents were afraid of being abused or punished themselves if they spoke out against the abuse they observed and experienced. No one in the hospital ever asked what happened to you, the nurses knew from our appearance, we were skinny, they’d say “ah, they are from the orphanage down the road”, no one ever asked.... Other people knew about it, doctors knew about it, nurses knew about it, lay teachers knew about it, other ...male religious staff... knew about it, nobody was prepared to stand up and say, “stop you can’t do that to a child”.... It was complete fear, sheer bully-boy tactics that stopped people, adults were in fear of ...( named male religious staff)... probably. A lay teacher had a job and said “if I report this my job is gone, my income is gone, where am I going to seek work?”.

Eighteen (18) witnesses, 12 male and six female, stated that they disclosed details of their physical and sexual abuse to others during their time in Children’s Homes. Five (5) male and four female witnesses specifically reported disclosing sexual abuse. Witnesses reported disclosing abuse to adults both within and external to the Homes and in some instances to more than one person: Nine (9) witnesses disclosed their abuse to an authority figure in the Children’s Home, including a Resident Manager. Six (6) witnesses disclosed abuse to a parent. Three (3) witnesses disclosed abuse to teachers, Gardaí, staff and siblings. Following discharge there was an inquiry in the parlour where I was interviewed by a group of men, ...named male religious staff... had told me to be very careful about what I would say happened to me, he threatened me. I told them I had fallen over a wall. ... I was in constant fear....

Two (2) male witnesses reported receiving medical attention for injuries and commented that they had been threatened not to tell anyone how their injury occurred. ‘I had been warned by ... named male religious staff... to say I had fallen down the stairs’. One of these male witnesses stated that as an older boy he attended the casualty department with junior residents who were injured following beatings by members of lay and religious staff. He reported being warned not to comment on the circumstances in which the injuries occurred: Nobody said anything, everybody kept themselves to themselves.... You would be told to go back to your bedroom and keep your mouth shut. You couldn’t do very much anyway, you would be that sore the next day after all the beatings ... (associated with sexual assault)... • I remember I got a good cut across the head there, I had to go to hospital. When ever ...named male religious staff... had gone beyond his limit and he knew what he had done required medical attention you ...(resident)... were put in charge of an older guy ...(co-resident)... to go to the hospital.