Bishop ‘appalled at depravity’ of school sex abuse allegations

BISHOP of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty has said he is “appalled at the depravity of abuse” outlined in a report into the historical sexual abuse of school children by religious orders.

Five Carlow schools were among the hundreds named by the report published last week, which included 2,395 allegations involving 884 alleged abusers across primary and secondary schools, including special schools, between the 1960s and 1990s. The Carlow schools named in the report were Carlow CBS (primary), Presentation College, Askea (secondary), Mount St Joseph, Tullow (secondary), Monastery Boys NS, Tullow and St Brigid’s National School, Bagenalstown.

In a statement issued to The Nationalist, Bishop Nulty said: ‘Behind every sentence, paragraph and page is someone who, as a child, suffered hugely in the very place where they should have felt safe.’ He commended survivors for their ‘extraordinary courage’ in sharing their stories. In relation to the local schools named, Bishop Nulty said: ‘I realise schools in the diocese at both primary and post-primary level feature in the report. I know this is very upsetting to current staff, students and families. As bishop, I want to assure everyone of the robust safeguarding protocols that permeate every aspect of school life today.’ He went on to express his ‘heartfelt sorrow’ and his commitment to do his ‘utmost’ to ensure that the work of safeguarding continues to be a priority in the diocese, adding that the diocese supported the work of the inquiry.

All Sunday Masses across the county last weekend were offered to the survivors of abuse and their families, as well as staff, students and boards of management of the local schools.

Focused primarily between the 1960s and ’90s, the report set out in stark alphabetical order the names of the religious orders which ran the 300-plus schools beside the number of allegations of abuse, as well as the total number of alleged abusers.

There were three allegations against two alleged abusers at Carlow CBS (primary) under the Christian Brothers. The Congregation of the Presentation Sisters at Presentation College, Askea (secondary) had one allegation against one alleged abuser. The Patrician Brothers cited allegations at Mount St Joseph, Tullow (secondary) and Monastery Boys NS, Tullow. An individual breakdown for each school was not provided by the Patrician Brothers; rather, a total of 21 allegations against 18 alleged abusers across its schools were listed. The figures were provided to the inquiry by the religious orders themselves.

St Brigid’s National School, Station Road, Bagenalstown was named as a school where one or more participants in the survivor engagement process said they had experienced abuse. Some of the local schools have gone on to change their names or to amalgamate with others.

The scoping inquiry was established after the RTÉ radio documentary Blackrock Boysaired in 2022. It described harrowing accounts of sexual abuse at Blackrock College, Dublin. Following its broadcast, many survivors, primarily men, came forward from various schools outlining similar experiences.

Central to the inquiry was the voice of survivors. Participants described being molested, stripped naked, raped and drugged amid an atmosphere of terror and silence. Many felt what was happening was so pervasive that it could not possibly have gone unnoticed by other staff or members of the religious orders.

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 community. Many felt there was something inherently wrong with them, describing failed intimate relationships, marriage breakdowns, suicide attempts and time spent in rehabilitation programmes. Tragically, many victims’ voices will never be heard as they have carried their stories to their grave, shrouded in secrecy and shame.

The scoping inquiry outlined its belief that further allegations of sexual abuse in schools will emerge following the publication of its report. To that end, An Garda Síochána advised victims of historical sexual abuse to avail of its free, confidential 24/7 child sexual abuse reporting line 1800 555222. The gardaí said they have received over 160 contacts since the publication of last week’s report.