Child Abuse In Ireland

There have been much reactions from the local communication media and international press from all the corners of the World to the 2,600 pages Report of the Commission To Inquire Into Child Abuse in Ireland. The Irish Times did extensive coverage under the title“A Monument To A Society’s Shame”, The Belfast Telegraph made headline of 23 May Issue
“Child Abuse Scandal Was Ireland’s Nightmare From Hell”. Thanks to the effort of Justice Sean Ryan, Judge Mary Laffey, and other active members of the Commission, we have gained knowledge and useful lessons on how to prevent future child abuse, help the victims, and make the abusers accountable for what they have done to countless numbers of boys and girls. For several years, members of the Commission listened to children’s recounting their abused experiences at the Church-run institution. They investigated all allegations of abuse made to it. They also monitored the supervision, regulations, behavior and attitude of institutional managers/ administrators that contributed to the occurrence of abuse. Content of their findings and recommendations are presented to the public with useful Executive Summary for easy reading of the widely-practiced physical, sexual, emotional abuses in the Irish Church-run educational institutions and places where children are cared for other than members of their families. The report covered neglects and failures to care for the children, which risks or causes series impairment or serious adverse effects and many attempts by Church authorities and institution’s managements to deny and cover-up the complaints of abusive behavior. I think the main responsibility to protect children from abuses belongs to State authorities. Government has allowed the educational system in Ireland to continue treating children “more like prison inmates and slave than people with legal rights and human potential”. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) should intensify its work with the the Irish Government and NGOs to take action on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child and to close down abusive institutions based on information from the report and recommendations of the Child Abuse Commission. UNICEF can assist other countries to set up similar commission to investigate the extent of child abuse in their country following the good experience and lesson learned from the Commission in Ireland.