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The long-awaited final report of a Scoping Inquiry led by Senior Counsel Mary O’Toole was delivered late last week to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley.
Abuse Allegations
The report details historical sexual abuse which took place in schools run by religious orders. It is reported by RTÉ that the report runs to more than 700 pages. The report follows a series of abuse allegations from the 1960s and 1970s at schools run by religious congregations, publicly highlighted in an RTÉ documentary ‘Blackrock Boys’ which first aired in November 2022.
Many abuse survivors who participated in the inquiry had their contributions included in the report.
Publication of the Report
The Minister for Education advised that her intention was to study the report and consider its contents carefully saying: “I appreciate that survivors will be keen to read the report and I want to assure you that I intend to publish it as soon as possible”.
The Minister for Education added that she will consult with the office of the Attorney General and seek Government approval to publish the report in the shortest possible timeframe.
The Impact of the Report
The report will set out a potential framework for a government response into the historical abuse.
Hopefully the report will also make recommendations on the scope, breadth and sequencing of such a response that will best meet outcomes sought by survivors of historical sexual abuse.
The report will outline findings of best practice that emerge from workstreams as relevant and appropriate to future practice in the area of child protection and potential restorative justice initiatives by religious orders.
At the moment, it is unknown how long it will take for the contents of the report to be made public but once it is we will have a much better idea of its impact.
Background
For further details and background, please see our prior articles on this sensitive area.
Scoping Inquiry into Historical Religious Order Sexual Abuse Claims – Update (February 2024)
Scoping Inquiry into Historical Religious Order Sexual Abuse Claims (October 2023)
Further Information
Lavelle Partners act for several clients in relation to historic child sexual abuse cases. Please contact Avril Scally, Partner and Head of Personal Injury & Medical Negligence, in the strictest confidence, if you would like to discuss a possible case.