'Serious lack of judgment'

Order 'protected abusers'

Wednesday May 24th 2006

Brother admits key actions showed 'serious lack of judgment'

CHRISTIAN Brothers who admitted to acts of sexual abuse in industrial schools were given senior positions in other institutions run by the order, it was claimed yesterday.

Deputy Provincial, Brother Michael Reynolds, told the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse that such actions were "a serious lack of judgment" and represented "extraordinary naivety".

The inquiry was told of three brothers who were transferred to new schools as superiors between 1945 and 1958 after admitting abuse. Two had been teachers at the Artane Industrial School. A fourth brother, who had been at Artane between 1960 and 1962, applied for a dispensation from Rome in 1972 because he said he had trouble keeping his vow of chastity, and admitted causing anxiety to his superiors and scandal after interfering with boys at his school.

He was eventually granted the dispensation, but when he died in 1995 he was still a Brother living in houses of the Order where children were present.

Br Reynolds also backed controversial claims by Brother David Gibson, Provincial for the Order, that former inmates of industrial schools conspired with lawyers to claim for compensation for alleged abuse.

He agreed with Br Gibson's claims on Monday that there were "doubts that some claims made were not all genuine". "How can you issue an apology over abuse when you have made clear your doubts as to how genuine those complaints are?" asked David McGrath, barrister for former inmates of Artane school. "We apologise to those who were abused," Br Reynolds replied.

John Kelly, co-ordinator of Irish SOCA (Survivors Of Child Abuse), submitted a letter of protest to the inquiry after Brother Gibson said the number of abuse claims jumped from three to 449 when the Taoiseach announced the inquiry and the Redress Board in 1999.

Brother Gibson said the Christian Brothers believe the claims spiraled after lawyers spread the word in Ireland and the UK that there could be financial gain from claiming abuse.

The letter of protest says that Irish SOCA are "very concerned" at the manner in which the inquiry has permitted members of the religious orders a public platform to "deny and refute" allegations of abuse at the Commission.

"Because of this, a public perception has arisen that it is the religious orders that are the injured parties since accounts of abuse suffered at the hands of the religious, as well as by the judicial system, remain unheard," says the letter.

At the inquiry, there was criticism of the manner in which the Artane school conducted its punishment policy. Mr McGrath said that the regulations stated only the school manager and deputy manager could discipline children, but that in Artane every brother appeared to be a disciplinarian. Brother Reynolds did not deny that every brother seemed responsible for discipline. Mr McGrath also criticised a list entitled 'For Your Guidance' which was given to boys on leaving Artane. He said it was based more on religious instruction than practical advice.

One former Artane pupil, Ron McCarten, angrily addressed the Commission, saying that "no court in the land would give credence to the evidence of Brother Reynolds".

Conor Feehan

? Irish Independent