Chapter 17 — Primary and second-level schools

Disclosing abuse and outcome of disclosure

The Committee heard evidence that in some instances while the abuse was initially denied, following the intervention of parents the witnesses were protected from further abuse. In five primary schools witnesses reported that abusers were removed. Other reported responses by parents to disclosures of abuse included a parent threatening to make a report to the Gardaí and two witnesses being moved from the school by their parents and sent to another school.

Nine (9) other witnesses reported disclosing their experiences of abuse to adults in positions of authority including, school Principals, religious staff, Gardaí and staff in a Children’s Home. Five (5) of these witnesses reported being punished or further abused following their disclosure. One witness reported that when he disclosed abuse in Confession, he was assaulted and raped by the confessor. The other four witnesses commented that their reports of abuse were investigated and that they were protected either immediately or at a later time.

Six (6) witnesses who disclosed abuse in second-level schools reported that no protective action was taken and the abuse continued. Five (5) of the reported disclosures were to persons in authority. One witness stated that he told another pupil of his experiences of abuse. Two (2) witnesses reported being punished for what were regarded as false allegations. A female witness commented that she was ‘really, really annoyed that other teachers never said anything’.

One male witness reported that following ongoing sexual abuse over two years he refused to continue attending school. The witness stated that investigation by the school attendance officer led to him being threatened with being sent to an Industrial School. On returning to school his abuser kept him in the classroom during break time and continued to abuse him on a more frequent basis. Another male witness reported that when he attended hospital for treatment following both sexual and physical assault no enquiries were made regarding how he had sustained his injury. The witness reported that the school Principal who had sexually abused him had ‘an air of authority and high standing in the community’ and that, when he was confronted by the witness’s parents, he denied the abuse. A witness who reported abuse in both national and second-level schools stated that as an adolescent he took an overdose in order to avoid persistent abuse and that he tried to tell others but was unable to describe what happened. Another witness commented that he developed skills ‘by crying, mitching, avoiding confrontation and cheating ... to survive the regime of brutality on a daily basis’. He stated that he attended the Committee because he wished to speak about what ‘surpassed even that ... (daily brutality).’

Seventeen (17) witnesses reported being unable to tell their parents at the time about the abuse they experienced. They believed their parents thought the abuse was justified punishment for some misconduct. Other witnesses described being ashamed of being abused, and thought that their parents would not believe they were being sexually abused as ‘priests would not do that’. A male witness who reported being physically and sexually abused stated that he wished the teacher who abused him would disfigure him in some way so that people could see something happened to him, and that they would then believe him. I wanted him to burst my hands so that everyone would see. I’d hoped he’d break my fingers or my face, that someone would believe me. He’d ...(Br X)... call us in and give out, say he would call the guards ...(Gardaí).... We hoped he would but he never did.... He bought me lots of things but it was never worth it... (witness reported sexual abuse) ...

A number of witnesses stated that on occasion they were protected from abuse and removed to safety by teachers who were not directly involved in the abuse. Other witnesses commented that due to their parents’ care and diligence they were protected from abuse.

Five (5) witnesses reported that a number of years after leaving school, investigations were carried out by the Gardaí following official complaints of abuse. Two (2) other witnesses stated that they were offered money as compensation by or on behalf of their abusers subsequent to disclosures of abuse.

Current circumstances

The Act enabled the Committee to hear both evidence of child abuse and the enduring effects on those who suffered abuse. Seventy (70) witnesses who reported abuse in primary and second-level schools gave accounts to the Committee of their adult life circumstances. In the course of their hearings witnesses provided information about their social circumstances, relationships, and the enduring effects of abusive experiences on their psychological, emotional and physical health7.

Many witnesses stated that their experiences of abuse had a traumatic impact on their subsequent relationships and made it difficult to sustain secure, stable attachments in adult life. Others described having partners who had been supportive and understanding and that they had achieved some happiness, notwithstanding occasional difficulties. A number of male witnesses commented that they were unable to sustain close relationships and had a tendency to ‘run from relationships’ or felt ‘unable to love people’.

Thirty nine (39) witnesses reported being married at the time of their hearing, 21 of whom described being happily married. Others described being involved in satisfying second partnerships having had difficulties in earlier marriages. Table 105 outlines the relationship status of witnesses at the time of their hearing:

Status of relationship	Males	Females	Total witnesses
Married	29	10	39
Single	14	1	15
Separated	4	0	4
Widowed	2	2	4
Co-habiting	6	1	7
Divorced	1	0	1
Total	56	14	70

Twenty six (26) witnesses reported having had difficulties establishing and maintaining relationships. They commented that they lacked confidence, found it difficult to socialise and had trouble trusting others, as one witness remarked: ‘I don’t trust no one’. Other witnesses reported being isolated, withdrawn and being preoccupied by details of past abuse to the detriment of adult relationships.

Fifteen (15) witnesses stated that they had difficulties in intimate relationships, generally attributed to childhood experiences of sexual abuse. Some witnesses described ambivalence about sexual and gender identity at some point in their lives. Others described life-long difficulties in their intimate relationships: I had relationships, there was one getting very close to marriage. I bailed out .... I had great difficulties in sexual relationships. I had a lot of anger in myself... • There’s a lot of frustration there and my marriage is not particularly great ... (sexual relationship) ... because of this whole thing ....

Witnesses described having variable relationships with their children ranging from being overprotective to being harsh, and in some instances abusive. Others commented that relationships with their children changed over time depending on the developmental age of the child and their own development as parents. Witnesses commented that their confidence as parents was linked, at times, with their own progress and recovery from past abuse. A number of witnesses reported parenting difficulties to be the result of their depression or in the context of marital disharmony.

Forty nine (49) witnesses, 39 male and 10 female, reported having children. Twenty four (24) described their children as doing well in many aspects of their lives. They enjoyed regular contact, supportive and mutually rewarding relationships with their children. I did try to commit suicide ... I was on a bridge and the light of my children’s faces... (prevented suicide attempt) ... that’s probably why I’m here today ...

Nineteen (19) witnesses described being strict, overprotective and at times harsh parents, leading to relationship breakdown with their children. One witness commented: ‘I became a bully, I became an abuser too. My boy, I clattered him. I hurt my wife, I hurt everybody’. Another witness stated: ‘In the last year or so I have been angry with... (children).... I’ve never hit my... (children)... but I shout. They’re great, lovely...’.