Chapter 7 — Record of abuse (male witnesses)

Sexual abuse

Witnesses reported that sexual abuse was frequently preceded by the abuser’s attempts to win their trust by expressing concern for their welfare or giving them small treats such as comic books, extra blankets, chocolates or fruit. ‘On your birthday you got a bottle of orange but you would have to ... you had to go up to the Brother and sit on their lap....’ Witnesses also reported being taken away from the School for outings and being sexually abused while they were out. This Brother used to follow the band around, Br ...X... introduced me to him. He wasn’t from our School, he was a fully fledged Brother from another School. He got friendly with me, over friendly you know, he used to take me out. He took me to ...named town... he told them ...(Brothers)... he was going to stay with his sister. He booked us into a hotel, and he touched me and things, rubbing and kissing me, he assaulted me, he did not have anal sex. I did not know anything about sex. I felt I had done something wrong. ... I went to Confession about it and the priest said “don’t worry about it” and he gave me a prayer to say as penance. I thought he would do something about it, you know, that he would put a stop to it, but nothing happened. • Br ...X... he had a kind way with him and you would be kinda looked after, if other Brothers were at you he would have a go at them. ... One day he called me into this little room ... he was saying to me “you are doing very well here, you are really coming along very well”. After a while he said “you are such a good looking boy you know, I have plans for you, we are going on a trip...”.. I thought “Well, he was just being nice”. ... Well after a while he took my hand and he placed it on his private parts you know, so he said to me “don’t be afraid”, things like that and at the same time I was shaking, and as he was talking he kept on rubbing my hand up and down his privates. The next thing was, he was opening his buttons, his trousers, you know ... and he told me to ...crying... take down my trousers ...crying...witness described anal rape....

A number of witnesses reported being sexually abused while working in the kitchens where access to extra food served as an inducement, prior to being sexually abused. The kitchen was identified as a location for sexual abuse due to its relative isolation from the rest of the School. As previously reported the kitchens in some Schools were described as the domain of a particular Brother with few intrusions by either staff or residents. I was sexually abused by a Brother, he used to fondle me, he used to masturbate himself over me, it happened mainly when I was helping in the kitchen, in a room at the back. The sexual abuse always happened outside the sight of everybody.

Staff whose sleeping quarters were adjacent to the dormitories were reported to employ various excuses for having residents in their rooms. Witnesses reported being sent to the priests’ or Brothers’ rooms to light fires, make beds, tidy up or clean the rooms. At times witnesses reported being invited to listen to the radio or music in a Brother or priest’s bedroom as a special treat. At other times, witnesses remarked that their expressed interest in some topic or sport provided the Brother or priest with the opportunity to engage them on an individual basis, as a prelude to inappropriate sexual contact. I was playing basketball one day and Br ...X... came over to me and said to me, says he “I have some sweets for you upstairs...”. ...(He told me)... to come up to his room. I genuinely thought I was going to get some sweets. He went into his room and came out naked, he told me take off my clothes, he rubbed some oil on me and he buggered me, I was in a bad way after that. He took me into his room and locked the door, and it was oral sex and all of that. ... I don’t like talking about it.

Witnesses reported that in some Schools residents who were selected for sexual abuse by religious staff at times received special treatment. A number of witnesses who were sexually abused described being known as ‘specials’ of a staff member and reported that being selected as ‘special’ protected them from physical abuse, to some extent. They described the associated disadvantages attached to this position, particularly being isolated from their peer group whom they believed did not understand the price they were paying for perceived privileges. A small number of witnesses in such circumstances acknowledged having conflicted feelings about being sexually abused, especially in situations where the sexual abuse was not associated with violence. Br ...X... he was brutal, he was a pig. ... They would call him a paedophile nowadays, he had his favourites, we called them “oh that’s so and so’s ...(pet)...”. He ...(Br X)... would be holding this little fella’s hand and that kinda thing. I was not sexually abused, I’d be telling a lie if I said I was, but I saw them. Voyeurism and other non-contact abuse

Witnesses described as sexually abusive the manner in which certain staff members supervised the areas of personal care. The practice of communal showering and bathing was reported as commonplace and not in itself abusive. However witnesses reported lone male staff staring at residents as they showered and subjecting them to intrusive examinations of their genitalia and other body parts. Reports of such violations of personal privacy were frequently accompanied by reports of physical abuse and subsequent sexual assault, including rape, in the shower areas.

Three (3) witnesses reported being watched by a Brother as he masturbated while they showered. Other witnesses described Brothers examining their bodies with particular attention to their genital area on the pretext of inspecting if they had washed thoroughly in the shower. A further form of voyeurism was reported by three witnesses who were forced to spar naked in the boxing ring while being watched by a number of Brothers and visiting clergy.

Fifteen (15) witnesses reported being questioned and interrogated in different ways about their sexual activity and awareness of sexual matters. Witnesses from two Schools reported that these interrogations were conducted in a methodical manner and focused on sexual activity between residents. Residents and witnesses were subsequently punished as a result of what was told. Witnesses from two Schools also described being required to keep a diary of their sexual thoughts that they had to give one of the Brothers to read and that they were then questioned about. Witnesses described being distressed by the interventions and that ‘you never knew what they wanted’. Other witnesses reported being questioned about their contact with girls or boys prior to admission or during holidays that they believed was, at times, a means of determining how susceptible they may be to allowing sexually inappropriate behaviour. Such interrogations were also described as opportunities for inappropriate sexual talk. He ...(Br X)... came into the recreation hall one night and said “come here a minute” and brought me up to his room. He started talking about something and then he started on sex, he started talking about sex. He asked me “have you ever had sex with a girl?” I said “no”, he kept at me and at me saying “you did, you did, come on tell me the truth...”. He threatened and he said “I’ll bring up Br ...Y...”. He was real evil ... sometimes you couldn’t sit down you, would be so sore after a beating. So I said to myself I’ll have to say yes. So I said “yes”, and he said “how do you do it?” and I haven’t a clue....

Two hundred and forty six (246) lay and religious staff and others were reported as sexual abusers by male witnesses. One or more reports of sexual abuse were made against each of those identified as sexual abusers. Witnesses identified 186 perpetrators of sexual abuse by name, 110 of whom were also named by witnesses as physically abusive. A further 60 unnamed perpetrators were identified by their position or occupation. It is possible that there is some overlap between those identified by name and those who were not named. The abusers’ identity was often protected by the reported practice of abusing residents at night when ‘you only saw the cloak’. Witnesses gave accounts of being warned not to turn around as they were being raped, which they believed was to preclude them from identifying the abuser. He told me to lean over the desk and pull my pants down. I didn’t know what he was going to do ...crying.... I felt something rubbing up and down against my backside. I tried to look around but the way he had me pinned down on the desk I couldn’t move, and the next thing I felt this sharp pain ... it was so severe. I never felt anything like it.... After he finished he told me “you be a good boy now go out and play with the other boys” and after that I decide that I had to get out of here, and I absconded and I was brought back and I got another beating.

Those reported to the Committee as sexual abusers included male and, to a much lesser extent, female religious staff who were in positions of care and authority including Resident Managers, teachers and ancillary workers. Lay care and ancillary workers, teachers, visiting professionals, volunteer care givers providing holiday and work placements, adult friends and relatives of staff and volunteers, ex-residents and co-residents were all identified as perpetrators of sexual abuse. The Committee heard evidence of sexual abuse by religious staff from 15 of the 20 Schools where witnesses reported being sexually abused. Evidence was heard of sexual abuse by lay staff and others from all 20 Schools. The following table shows the positions understood by witnesses to be those held in or in association with the institutions by reported sexual abusers:

Position of reported sexual abusers	Males	Females
Religious
- Authority figure including Resident Manager	23	1
- Care staff	87	3
- Teacher	24	0
- Ancillary worker	17	0
- External priest, Brother or other clergy	8	0
- Clerical student	1	0
Lay
- Care staff	6	6
- Teacher	2	0
- Ancillary worker	11	0
Weekend or holiday placement carer	1	0
Work placement provider	1	0
Visitor and volunteer workers	9	0
Local workmen, general public or others	6	0
Ex-resident	1	0
Co-resident	37	2
Total	234	12

As indicated, the majority of sexual abuse reported was perpetrated within the Schools by religious staff with 151 (65%) of all those identified as sexually abusive being male religious staff, 139 Brothers and 12 priests. Altogether 180 religious and lay staff within the Schools were identified as sexually abusive.

Witnesses reported being sexually abused by 151 male and four female religious staff in 15 Schools where sexual abuse was reported. Five (5) witnesses also reported that they were sexually abused by external clergy and Brothers who were visiting the Schools or others to whom witnesses were sent to work. As previously stated external clergy included priests and others of higher rank. These visiting religious were described as either friendly with religious staff or visiting the School in a pastoral role. There were also four reports of sexual abuse by either a clerical student or visiting members of the congregation in relation to four other Schools. In all but one instance sexual abuse by external clergy and Brothers were described as isolated occurrences. The forms of sexual abuse reported included anal rape, oral/genital contact, masturbation, kissing, inappropriate fondling, indecent exposure and voyeurism. I always thought there was someone coming for me. It’s only when I think back now they ...(Brothers)... were so clever. I don’t know if you get what I’m saying to you, with regards paedophilia if you know what I mean, they had a knack of it. ...The sexual abuse or the physical abuse wouldn’t start straight away, but don’t forget you’re 11 years of age, you’re lonely, you have nobody. The next thing the Brother would put his arms around you or he would be nice to you. It was somebody to hold on to, then after a while the sexual abuse would start. ... To this day it kills me, I tried to please them. I tried to please them for a hug, somebody to put their arms around you. You were constantly told "nobody wants you, you’re not wanted”.... He’d bring you into a room and put the arm around you and giving you a sweet and then hands would drop down and eventually he would bugger you. I thought I was a bad boy and that ...(sexual abuse)... was your punishment. When they’d get fed up with you they would start hitting you. After the sexual act you would get a box in the mouth off him.... It started after 2 weeks there, new comers were like new meat.

Six (6) Brothers were each reported by between 10 and 21 witnesses as having sexually abused them. These six Brothers were identified by a total of 89 witnesses and came from two particular Schools. These Schools had both the largest number of staff reported as sexually abusive and the most reports of sexual abuse made about particular staff members. Br ...X... sent for me, I had to go to his room and he said “kneel down and close your eyes”. ... He put his penis in my mouth ...crying and distressed... and I opened my eyes and he boxed me in the eyes. You couldn’t do anything if they came to abuse you, they would hit you a box or anything like that.

Among the religious Sisters, Brothers and priests who were reported as sexual abusers 24 were believed by witnesses to be Resident Managers or officers in charge of the Schools. Ninety (90) religious staff, including three religious Sisters and three priests, identified as abusers were in care roles and 24 were in teaching roles. Seventeen (17) religious staff identified as sexual abusers were occupied in an ancillary capacity on farms, in kitchens, laundries and infirmaries. Religious ancillary staff were described as having control over their area of work, particularly kitchens, farmyards, and infirmaries, where they were identified as sexually abusing many witnesses. The first job I had was in the laundry, after a few weeks he ...(Br X)... called me in to the office and said “if you ever have any problems don’t hesitate to come to me”. He had his arm around me at this stage, he put his other hand down inside my trousers.... I pulled away and wouldn’t allow him to do it, he hit me a box in my face with his fist and told me to get out of his office. ... Twice I had to masturbate him ...(Br X)... in the hospital ...(infirmary).... The hospital was the place where they would give the boys medication. ... He’d bring you in and he’d pull across the curtains. ... He’d ...(Br X)... have his Cassock up underneath the band, the belt, and he’d get me to rub him. • While working in the kitchen I was kissed by Br ...X... regularly and the boys who witnessed it ridiculed me. ... Br ...Y... made me fondle him and rubbed himself up against me.

The four religious Sisters identified as sexually abusing male witnesses were attached to different Schools and were each the subject of single witness reports. In three instances they were described as inappropriately fondling and exposing themselves to the witnesses in the context of personal care activities. In the other instance a witness reported that a religious Sister sexually abused him by fondling and masturbation in the company of both male and female lay care staff.

As previously reported, 94 Brothers and five priests were named as both physically and sexually abusive by witnesses.