More than 15,000 boys might have been sexually abused in Irish colleges

More than 15,000 boys may have been sexually abused in Irish schools between the 1960s and 1990s it has been revealed, as a major new investigation is to be launched.

The Government yesterday announced a Commission of Investigation will be established on foot of a ‘truly shocking’ scoping inquiry that uncovered 2,400 allegations of sexual abuse in over 300 religious schools over four decades.

The claims refer to 884 alleged perpetrators, of whom less than half – around 400 – are still alive.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said yesterday the report was a ‘harrowing read’ as he paid tribute to the ‘courage and bravery’ of those who came forward. Abuse rates were particularly high in special schools, with 590 allegations involving 190 alleged abusers in 17 schools.

But it is feared those figures are just the tip of the iceberg, with the CSO estimating that as many as 15,300 boys were sexually abused in Irish schools – not just those run by religious orders – during the period in question.

Gardaí are now bracing themselves for a deluge of fresh allegations, security sources have told the Mail.

Some survivors expressed the view that ‘a paedophile ring was operating’ in their school, with multiple staff members involved in either carrying out or facilitating sexual abuse.

The scoping inquiry report, conducted by barrister Mary O’Toole, was commissioned last year following revelations of ­sexual abuse at Blackrock ­College in Dublin.

Speaking yesterday, the Taoiseach said the abuse ‘is a shadow of our past that continues to loom large in so many lives, so many families, so many communities’.

Noting the report recommended redress be paid to survivors, the Fine Gael leader said: ‘It’s really important that we get the structure right and that the next steps that we take are absolutely survivor-centred.

‘I want to say this on behalf of the Government, and I want to say this on behalf of the people of Ireland: We will get this right.’

Education Minister Norma Foley called the report ‘a harrowing document’ that ‘contains participants’ descriptions of appalling sexual abuse and violence’.

She added: ‘This includes abuse being perpetrated in front of other children. Many of the survivors who participated in the scoping inquiry are now older.

‘They have been able to speak about the lifelong impact of childhood sexual abuse. They told us that it led to the premature end of their childhood.

‘It affected their academic performance in schools, it caused mental health issues, abuse of alcohol or drugs. It damaged survivors’ relationships with their families and their own children.

‘Some survivors were unable to visit their own parents’ graves because their abuser was buried nearby in a plot in the same graveyard.

‘Our schools should be places of haven, not horror. Our students should be able to experience learning, fun and friendship in school, not fear and certainly not fright.’

In total, there are 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse in respect of 308 schools recorded by the religious orders that ran those schools, according to the report.

Gardaí, having reviewed their files in relation to five out of the nine most prolific schools, found there are currently 17 ongoing investigations.

At the scoping inquiry’s request, the CSO conducted an exercise to estimate the number of people who have experienced sexual abuse as a child which took place at a school. Using that data, it was estimated that 15,300 men aged 35 and over have experienced sexual violence as a child where the location was a school.

The allegations included 820 claims against the Christian Brothers, 321 against the Spiritans, 295 against the Brothers of Charity and 142 against the Jesuits.

Many of those who gave evidence to the inquiry stated their belief that the abuse was inflicted by an organised paedophile ring.

One said: ‘It was very clear there was a conspiracy going on. There were 12 priests present and nine were paedophiles.

‘Three were involved with me together on one occasion and [also] apart.’

Describing the school as a ‘paedophile ring’, he added: ‘You wouldn’t want to hear what else they did to me. It was an orchestrated machine that ran for years and is still running.’

Others alleged they raised the abuse with school leadership but nothing was done.

They said: ‘We were treated like sweets, handed around, that doesn’t happen in an environment where they can say they knew nothing.

‘It’s not about not being Christians, it’s not that they let the side down and didn’t protect children, but that they facilitated the abuse and colluded. This was concerted, they were aware of it.

‘I went to the principal and I told him what had happened. He asked if I was confused about the perpetrator being sympathetic to me.’ Many spoke of being sexually abused in the presence of other children or adults, others reported being sexually abused when alone with a teacher, priest or religious brother, other school staff or a visitor to their school.

A significant number recounted the sexual abuse had been ongoing, while others said it occurred randomly, or followed a period of grooming and was often reported as having been accompanied by ferocious violence.

Participants described being molested, stripped naked, raped and drugged amid an atmosphere of terror and silence. A small number of people from a handful of schools reported that they were drugged into immobility or unconsciousness prior to sexual abuse.

While some described how their memories of what occurred may have been affected, most reported that they were aware in the immediate aftermath of these episodes that something had happened, due to pain and physical trauma to their bodies.

A participant said: ‘They used drugs to immobilise but still be conscious.’ The report also dealt with the lasting impact the abuse had on its victims.

It read: ‘As adults, participants said the impact of the sexual abuse led to serious and ongoing difficulties in relationships, mental and physical health problems, addiction issues, lost career opportunities and damage to their sense of place and/or community.

‘Many described failed early intimate relationships and marriage breakdowns. Some said that, as a result of the sexual abuse, they decided not to have children, or when they did, it impacted their parenting, with many participants describing the effects of intergenerational trauma on their families. Many spoke with very real sadness of the impact of telling their elderly parents of their experiences.’

A statement from the Department of Education released yesterday acknowledged that the report recommended giving consideration to a financial redress scheme for survivors.

However, both the department and Minister Foley did not commit to a redress scheme but said it is something the Government is looking at. She said: ‘The level of abuse is shocking, it is truly shocking.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: ‘The level and scale of the horrific abuse within schools revealed in the report’s pages is shocking, and there must be full accountability and justice for those abused.’

The representative body for Catholic orders across Ireland said it is ‘deeply sorry’ that victims experienced abuse in religious-run schools. A spokesman for the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious in Ireland said: ‘We are deeply sorry that they experienced abuse in religious-run schools.

‘We will carefully examine the recommendations.’