Group afraid inquiry into sexual abuse at religious-run schools may delay redress and justice
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A group representing survivors of sexual abuse at religious-run schools has raised concerns that the establishment of an inquiry could delay both redress and justice.
In light of the Cabinet decision to begin the process of setting up an inquiry, the advocacy groupRestore Together has written to Education Minister Norma Foley expressing its "real concern" that any statutory inquiry into sexual abuse of children at schools could result in "yet further delays to urgently needed justice and redress for victims/survivors whose suffering continues daily, decades after they were abused".
The group said it was particularly concerned about reports in July and this week which refer to the imminent establishment of a redress scheme only after the conclusion of any inquiry. This would unnecessarily add "years of delay to urgently needed justice and healing for all victims/survivors of abuse", it said.
The group said it is already "fully accepted" by the Spiritan order and other religious orders that widespread abuse took place over a long timeframe affecting hundreds of children.
In a statement, Restore Together said that any inquiry must also avoid providing cover to the orders which would slow down redress.
"Restore Together’s strong wish is that any statutory inquiry must be structured to reflect the urgency of the situation putting the best interests of victims/survivors first. This could be partially achieved by the concurrent operation of parallel strands of any inquiry aimed at providing healing, redress and justice to victim/ survivors without any further delay.
"In addition, no action by our Government should inadvertently provide cover that enables religious orders to further delay justice and healing urgently needed by victims/survivors who have carried their burden for decades already.
"Restorative Justice or similar support programmes already in operation or under negotiation, including the provision of financial redress, with the various religious congregations must not be limited, set back or delayed in any way by the establishment by the Government of a statutory inquiry."
Speaking to RTÉ's News At One programme on Tuesday, Corry McMahon from the group said that any redress scheme must be "non-adversarial". Mr McMahon said he wanted to see deeper conversations about what victims endured.
The group wants victims’ voices “front and centre at all times". He said: "And that our voices don't get lost behind an inquiry. I've noticed somewhere along the line that a redress scheme would be formulated after the inquiry. But the inquiry could go on for years. And there are people that need help now.
“It's been going on for years but has been really highlighted in the last four years. I've spoken to so many people, men and women for whom their main question really is 'what do we do next?'.
“Most of the perpetrators or the abusers are dead. A large number of men and women and families are still alive and are looking for some sort of award to be given to them. I don't like using the word compensation, but award, to acknowledge what happened to them.
"That would be front and centre. That the orders couldn't slip into the slipstream of the inquiry and get away for another four or five years, whatever it is. The voice of the victim is the most important thing from our perspective."
The voice of the victim is “paramount” he said, which is why some form of redress system that does not require victims go to court and face barristers and judges is needed.
“That's really what we'd be looking for.”