Report produced into abuse at 'mother and baby homes' in Ireland in 20th Century

[Keith_M]

Ireland is trying to come to terms with it's past and the Government has published the findings of a five year investigation into the disgraceful abuse carried out at 'mother and baby homes' run jointly by the Government and the Catholic Church.


The Taoiseach said "We embraced judgmental, moral certainty and perverse religious morality,".


'About 56,000 women and 57,000 children were placed or born into the homes from 1922 until the last one shut in 1998. Other countries had similar institutions but the per capita numbers in Ireland were probably the highest in the world, the commission found.'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/ireland-report-appalling-abuse-mother-baby-homes

Roughly 9,000 of those children died, which is a 15% mortality rate. Their bodies were mostly dumped in un-marked graves.

Some people are still unhappy with the lack of a formal apology from the Catholic Church, which was tasked with actually running the institutions.



I'd recommend watching Philomena (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/philomena), a film about the experience of a woman called Philomena Lee, who experienced this horrific treatment herself from the 'Sisters' that ran such establishments and stole her child from her to give it up for adoption. It truly is a moving film.

[Pretty Boy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the_girls_of_bessborough

The above is an excellently written article that is heartbreaking in the extreme.

There is really nothing that can be said about the content of any of the reports. Everything that needs said is contained within them. Those who commited such acts and those who allowed it to happen should have spent time behind bars. The Churches hypocrisy when it came to lecturing on sexual and societal morality has been laid bare for all to see over a number of years. Truly shameful.

It's good to read the Irish state will be apologising formally. The Vatican should be doing likewise with the Pope delivering the message with no caveats or mitigation. A full apology. It will be of little comfort to the survivors of course but it's a symbolic gesture if nothing else.

[Peevemor]

I watched a film a couple of years ago about this, but I don't think it was the Judi Dench one. In any case the film was excellent and was a real eye opener to the truly tragic events.

[Pagan Hibernia]

In October the Irish government (including the supposedly progressive Green Party) voted to seal the state files on the Tuam disgrace for another 30 years. A disgusting decision.

nearly 800 bodies of babies were found dumped in a septic tank there. Just awful.

[Keith_M]

...
It's good to read the Irish state will be apologising formally. The Vatican should be doing likewise with the Pope delivering the message with no caveats or mitigation. A full apology. It will be of little comfort to the survivors of course but it's a symbolic gesture if nothing else.

Like you say, it's not a lot of comfort but I think they have to do it, to retain at least a semblance of credibility.



In October the Irish government (including the supposedly progressive Green Party) voted to seal the state files on the Tuam disgrace for another 30 years. A disgusting decision.

nearly 800 bodies of babies were found dumped in a septic tank there. Just awful.

Oh my god, I didn't know that. That's absolutely terrible.


Regarding the film, Philomena; I consider myself quite a tough person, and emotions don't come easily, but I actually had a tear in my eye watching that film.

[lord bunberry]

I watched this on the news yesterday, it was truly horrific. Innocent children treated that way and mothers forced into giving up their child is abhorrent. I know this doesn’t happen now but just watching it yesterday made me so angry and I hope the people responsible are brought to justice if possible or named and shamed if not. At times like this I have nothing but contempt for religion.

[Keith_M]

I watched this on the news yesterday, it was truly horrific. Innocent children treated that way and mothers forced into giving up their child is abhorrent. I know this doesn’t happen now but just watching it yesterday made me so angry and I hope the people responsible are brought to justice if possible or named and shamed if not. At times like this I have nothing but contempt for religion.


Given the scale of this disgrace (Ireland is just the tip of the iceberg) and other hideous acts of hypocrisy, I tend to agree with you.

[G B Young]

Ireland is trying to come to terms with it's past and the Government has published the findings of a five year investigation into the disgraceful abuse carried out at 'mother and baby homes' run jointly by the Government and the Catholic Church.


The Taoiseach said "We embraced judgmental, moral certainty and perverse religious morality,".


'About 56,000 women and 57,000 children were placed or born into the homes from 1922 until the last one shut in 1998. Other countries had similar institutions but the per capita numbers in Ireland were probably the highest in the world, the commission found.'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/ireland-report-appalling-abuse-mother-baby-homes

Roughly 9,000 of those children died, which is a 15% mortality rate. Their bodies were mostly dumped in un-marked graves.

Some people are still unhappy with the lack of a formal apology from the Catholic Church, which was tasked with actually running the institutions.



I'd recommend watching Philomena (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/philomena), a film about the experience of a woman called Philomena Lee, who experienced this horrific treatment herself from the 'Sisters' that ran such establishments and stole her child from her to give it up for adoption. It truly is a moving film.

Yes very moving film. Steve Coogan and Judi Dench are excellent in it.