Chapter 2 — Methodology

Reasons given for attending the Confidential Committee

Witnesses also reported that there were positive aspects to their treatment in institutions that they wished to have acknowledged.

Those who reported attending the Committee out of a sense of obligation often commented that they came forward to support others, especially in relation to institutions where they believed abuse was less often acknowledged.

Sixty two (62) witnesses gave other reasons for attending, including some who hoped to gain a better understanding of their admission to an institution and many who, in addition to recounting the history of their own abuse, also came to speak for siblings and co-residents who had died in tragic circumstances.

The following quotations illustrate the reasons stated by witnesses for giving evidence to the Committee: I think I wanted someone to listen to me, nobody ever listened to us, nobody ever asked us how we were feeling. When our mother died we were never spoken to, we cried for a reason, nobody ever asked why, nobody ever said “if you have a problem come to me”. We did not know how to post a letter or buy a loaf of bread ...(after discharge)... I wanted to be heard really. • They all said “that couldn’t have happened” but they can’t say that to 5000 of us when we all have a similar story to tell. • For all the children who died in care and cannot speak for themselves. Listening to fellows being flogged ... I just wanted to forget them but I couldn’t forget them ... fellows were being told not to tell their parents. I’m not interested in any compensation but there should be some official record of what happened. The most important thing is that disabled children would be educated without abuse being done to them. • Lots of others would love to come to tell their story but they can’t because their lives are destroyed with drink and drugs and everything. My story is their story too. • I know many of the others are not around to tell. To protect kids, give a double look at the guy you think is such a great guy, who offers to do things with kids, who is supposed to be a lover of kids or whatever, where you think he seems to be a sports man ... look again, because, once a kid is sent down the wrong way it seems to live with them for ever. There is a ... wall of silence that no one knows unless you are within the School. You need to bring things in to protect the kids. • I blame the Government, they gave the religious orders the power, they should have come and checked you, if it was monitored they wouldn’t have the power to do what they did.... Is anyone ever going to listen? I had to prove myself, everyone is entitled to have their say and now ... after today ... I will just burn it ...(supporting documents)... in front of me, I’ll finish it. • I knew 7 people who in a space of 6 months after leaving ...named School... committed suicide. ... I know an awful lot of people who just cannot come forward to this day, an awful lot are dead. • I wanted to see if there is something good that can come from it, that what happened will be made public in print. When I started there was nothing about money, nothing at all about money, it’s not money. All I want is justice. ... What could you do with money? • I am here today because I am not a number, I am a human being. • Why ...(come forward)...? How come I am feeling this 50 or 60 years on? How come someone didn’t come and ... do something about it, say “are you alright?” I grew up so emotionally bruised and battered, psychologically I couldn’t do anything. I wanted someone to tell me why it happened. From 0 till 18 I was a figure under section something ...(Children Act, 1908).... Initially I wanted to confront somebody from that bloody School and say “why did you do that to me?” • So that there will be a report which will advise social workers to monitor children in care more closely. • To record abuse, perhaps it will go some way towards stopping the belief that children won’t remember. • I want people to know it was not safe for children in those Schools.... It was a School from hell, they were dangerous people. I will never forgive them, there were people in charge they done nothing about it, you were under lock and key, you got the life kicked out of you and no one does anything about it. • It’s a must ... you were allotted to listen to me, it’s going to close a chapter in my life and I’m happy to release it all. • No one was prepared to stand-up, the government allowed the religious institutions to care for children, it was out of their hands. The religious just did not know how to cope, they had no background whatsoever in childcare. • We have been quiet long enough. • It’s a report for social workers, to monitor more carefully, there should have been monitoring. If there had been more outsiders coming into the School, you know you would have got to know them. Letting the children know that they have someone to talk to, if they have a problem and ... someone you could trust outside, they would have to be outside, a separate thing from the School. If I had someone to talk to, separate, that I could trust ... it would have helped me. It has been a great help to talk about it. • I feel that nobody listened to us as children, and thank God someone is listening to us now.

Chapter 3 provides information on the demographic profile of the 791 witnesses whose evidence was included in the abuse reports in relation to Industrial and Reformatory Schools (Schools). Evidence provided by the 259 witnesses who reported abuse in ‘Other Institutions’ is covered in Chapters 12–18 of this Report. Thirty six (36) of the witnesses reported abuse in both Schools and ‘Other Institutions’. Their evidence is recorded as it relates to either the Schools or the designated ‘Other’ Institutions.