Tuesday September 14 2010
Clerical child sex abuse victims from across Ireland are to demand an independent inquiry at a conference in Belfast.
The Amnesty International meeting on October 7 will bring together campaigners, counsellors and politicians.
Among the speakers will be Andrew Madden, who in 1995 became the first clerical abuse victim to go public in Ireland, and Bernadette Fahy, who experienced abuse at Goldenbridge orphanage in Dublin and went on to found the Aislinn Centre for survivors of institutional abuse.
Also addressing the conference will be Norah Gibbons and Marian Shanley, members of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which produced the Ryan Report and found that institutional child abuse in the Republic of Ireland was “endemic and widespread”.
The report accused the Irish government and religious orders of failing to protect children or properly investigate complaints.
Amnesty’s Northern Ireland programme director Patrick Corrigan said: “Amnesty is very focused on the need for long overdue justice for the many children – now adults – who suffered abuse in institutions in Northern Ireland.
“The need for an independent, impartial and effective inquiry into this historical abuse now rests with the Northern Ireland Executive for decision.”
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said they wish to deal with the matter quickly and effectively. They met the victims earlier this year.
Margaret McGuckin, spokeswoman for the Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse group, welcomed the conference. “This event demonstrates that we are becoming more organised and that we have people like Amnesty International on our side. That says that we are not going away and we are not going to give up our fight for justice,” she said.
“We want more people to join us in our campaign and for more victims and survivors to come forward to tell their stories and be ready to deal with an inquiry.”
The Religious should pay compansation straight to each Victim ; and NOT to the corupt Government or Groups.
The worst abuse happened in Goldenbridge from 1930 -1963 ,after that Sr X had left to take over another post elsewhere I was told how much the place changed by those who went in after those dates when a new Nun took over , no doubt the place was awful and abuseive cold damp still, Dark, and still the straps and sticks being used to batter children who also starved ? Is that right Mrs B?? yet still not as shocking as the former years, there were about 135 children in my time where are they now ,how many survived ? still living. ?how many ended up in Mental hospitals or magdalen laundry’s Slaves for convents or hospitals? Homeless distressed and alone without help.the religious have all our names on their files as they did get huge funding from the government and many parents had to pay also ,none of that funding was spent on us children, we slaved for them and worked very hard making Rosary Beads in the factory ,along with knitting socks ,jumpers ;made and sowe’d blue underware ,we made broaches all of which the religious sold ; we never got paid,Lets face it NOONE gave a fart about us and STILL DON’T ,I am sick of hearing about those GROUP SELF APPOINTED LEADERS ,They couldnt give a fart either what our lives have been like as long as they keep getting funding to shut the real VICTIMS up.And that my friends is the jist of it. SO WE IGNORED MUST NOW GET TO WORK FOR REAL JUSTICE ,AND THOSE GROUP LEADERS WHO HAVE HAD HUGE FUNDING MUST BE FORCED TO OPEN THEIR BOOKS SO WE ALL CAN SEE JUST WHAT THEY DID WITH ALL THOSE MILLIONS THEY TOOK ,WHILE SURVIVORS ARE SUFFERING MANY STILL HOMELESS, MANY SICK; MANY POOR, MANY ALONE HAPPY NEW YEAR
I just wrote a post ,it suddenly disappeared How strange.
if thay keep on asking the same people thay will get the same answers. mrs o fahy was in gb during the sixties. she describes the changes during the time that fabien was head nun . i was amazad when i read her book . she speaks of going shopping for the nuns. the fear was not the same as during the years that x s was head nun i am not saying it was nice but it was very different.and many of us are left out of all progects for survivers. the older survivers have no contact with these groups besause we are not welcome .if thay read this can you let me know how is my cousin sally .
justice can only be when the government of ireland proves to the world by paying back the finances it took from the religious that was to help survivors have some kind of life.
over five hundred million euro for a start.
plus a personal apology to each and every survivor.
there is no such thing as only paying 50% each when two parties are guilty 100%.
you are either 100% guilty or not at all.