Chapter 14 — Children’s Homes

Sexual abuse

A total of 43 perpetrators, 34 male and nine female, were identified in evidence to the Committee as having sexually abused 29 witnesses. Men and women described as abusers included named and unnamed religious and lay staff, adult male volunteer workers and visitors, external priests and Brothers, older residents, and others. Thirty one (31) of the reported abusers were identified by name. Witnesses identified another 12 abusers by their position or function either in the Home or in association with the Home. It is possible that there is some overlap between those identified by name and those who were not named. The following Table lists the positions held and the number of reported sexual abusers:

Position of reported sexual abusers	Males	Females
Religious
- Authority figure including Resident Manager	3	2
>- Care staff	2	3
- Teacher	1	0
- Ancillary worker	1	0
- External priest or Brother	4	0
Lay
- Authority figure including Resident Manager	1	0
- Housemaster	2	0
- Care staff	1	2
- Ancillary worker	2	0
Family member	1	0
‘Foster’ or ‘holiday’ placement carer	2	0
Volunteer workers and visitors	8	1
General public	1	0
Ex-resident	2	0
Co-resident	3	1
Total	34	9

Eleven (11) of the reported abusers were religious Brothers or priests and five were religious Sisters. Male volunteer workers were reported to visit the Children’s Homes with the consent and cooperation of staff and management. Five (5) witnesses from one Children’s Home reported nine individuals, including five volunteer workers, as sexually abusive. Among those reported as abusive was a religious Resident Manager of the Home, who was also reported by a number of witnesses as physically abusive.

Nine (9) witnesses reported sexual abuse by both religious and lay care staff. Five (5) religious staff in positions of authority were reported as abusers, including one religious Resident Manager who was the subject of three witnesses’ reports of sexual abuse. One lay care worker was reported by two witnesses to have sexually abused them, progressing from molestation to anal penetration. My second key worker ... named lay care worker... started to abuse me from an early age. He first brought me to the ... named place... room where younger boys were only allowed go accompanied by a staff member. He locked the door and raped me, he abused me in the dormitory where other boys slept, in disused rooms and in a ...named place... where staff could take boys for treats. The abuse happened about 3 times a week, whenever he was on duty, over a year and half.

Three (3) witnesses, one male and two female, reported being abused by female religious staff. The male witness described being aggressively fondled and forced to fondle his abuser. He reported that he was threatened that he would go to hell if he disclosed that he was being abused. A female witness described being beaten and then fondled by a female religious in a position of authority within the Home. Another female witness reported being taken out of the Home by a religious Sister and her female friend who sexually molested her.

Witnesses described the practice in three Children’s Homes of male volunteer workers visiting the Homes. They believed these men assisted the Resident Managers or those in charge by providing help with homework, recreational activities and transport. Some were reported to be constant visitors at weekends and were welcomed by residents because they provided opportunities for contact outside the Home, taking residents to the cinema, swimming and on other outings. Other volunteer workers were reported to be involved on an occasional basis providing children’s parties, holidays and weekends away from the institution. Two (2) volunteer workers were reported to provide accommodation and support during the witnesses’ transition to independent living.

The Committee heard evidence from nine witnesses, eight male and one female, of being sexually abused by eight male volunteer workers, seven of whom were named. One volunteer worker was the subject of two reports of sexual abuse. Witnesses described the male abusers as providing inducements such as outings from the Home, and promises of accommodation and employment following discharge. Two men who were regular visitors to the Home fondled me, they did it to other boys, we all learned to avoid them. One of these men, a constant nightly visitor to help with homework, took me home. He offered me a roof over my head when I left, I had nowhere else to go, there followed sexual abuse ... (rape)... over years.... • There was a visitor... (named volunteer worker) ... who used to come and take you out every 3 or 4 weeks, 3 or 4 boys, they...(lay Resident Managers).. would pick you out, all delighted to have an outing. He would make us all one by one pee in a milk bottle and then fondle us and would afterwards give us a sweet each and tell us we were good boys... • (Named volunteer worker) ... a visitor who took boys out at weekends. We would have to share his bed, then he would masturbate me and try to get me to masturbate him back.

Seven (7) witnesses, five male and two female, reported being sexually abused by older co-residents and ex-residents. The abuse described included rape and masturbation. Ex-residents were reported to return to one Children’s Home where they had unsupervised access overnight to all areas of the Home.

Three (3) female witnesses reported being sexually abused by external priests. Two (2) of the witnesses reported being raped by two named priests when they went to Confession. One witness reported that the abuse continued over a number of years following her discharge from the Home. One male witness was sexually abused by a visiting Brother when he was supervising residents in the absence of the regular staff.

Two (2) female witnesses reported being sexually abused while in placements arranged by authority figures from the Children’s Homes. One reported abuser was described as a ‘foster father’ and the other was a male adult in the witness’s work placement. Both witnesses reported that they disclosed their experience of abuse to the staff in the Homes and one was punished and made to return to the placement and the other witness’s complaints were ignored.

Two (2) female witnesses reported being abused by lay ancillary staff who were employed in the environs of the Homes.

Neglect

Failure to care for the child which results, or could reasonably be expected to result, in serious impairment of the physical or mental health or development of the child or serious adverse effects on his or her behaviour or welfare.11 This section presents witness reports of neglect of their care, welfare and education. Descriptions of neglect refer to all aspects of the physical, social and emotional care and welfare of the witnesses that had implications for their physical, psychological and social development.

The Committee heard 43 reports of neglect from 41 witnesses, 20 male and 21 female, in relation to 17 Children’s Homes. Two (2) witnesses each made reports of neglect in relation to two Homes. Reports included neglect in combination with physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Two (2) of the 17 Children’s Homes were the subject of both male and female reports.

As with the other abuse types the frequency of neglect reports by witnesses varied in relation to individual Children’s Homes, as follows: Two (2) Children’s Homes were collectively the subject of 15 reports. Three (3) Children’s Homes were each the subject of four reports, totalling 12 reports. Four (4) Children’s Homes were each the subject of two reports, totalling eight reports. Eight (8) Children’s Homes were the subject of a single report.

The most consistently reported area of neglect by witnesses in Children’s Homes was the neglect of and inadequate provision for their education. Witnesses also described neglect of their safety and welfare and a failure to provide protection from harm. Reports regarding inadequate food, clothing and neglect of their health were more commonly reported by witnesses discharged prior to the 1970s.

Thirty five (35) witnesses, 23 male and 12 female, reported that their education was neglected. Ten (10) witnesses reported being removed from the classroom to work in or on behalf of the Home and that they were denied any further opportunity to avail of formal schooling ‘I worked out on the farm picking potatoes and carrots – there was no education there’. A witness who reported that she was sent to an external second-level school and was later abruptly withdrawn by the religious Sister stated the following: I loved school, I really, really loved school ... I got as far as ..., I prepared for my Intermediate. I got good reports and everything before that and then the nun suddenly said “you’re not going to stay on in school anymore. Your mother’s not sending any money for books” and they took me out and sent me to work in ... named hospital ... as a cleaner. I was so distraught, that killed me....