Ireland may widen inquiry after 'appalling' discovery of baby remains

[webfact]

Ireland may widen inquiry after 'appalling' discovery of baby remains

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: The entrance to the site of a mass grave of hundreds of children who died in the former Bons Secours home for unmarried mothers is seen in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, June 4, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

 

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will widen an inquiry into former Church-run homes for unmarried mothers if needed, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Monday, calling the discovery of long-dead babies at one home "truly appalling".

 

The remains of babies ranging from new-born to three-years-old, were found in the sewers of one of Ireland's "mother-and-baby homes", government-appointed investigators said on Friday following an excavation they described as "shocking".

 

The government ordered the inquiry in 2014 after a local historian's research suggested up to 800 children may lie in an unmarked grave at the home in the western town of Tuam.

 

Opposition lawmakers and advocacy groups have urged the government to excavate more sites.

 

"Back in 2014 I described the way that babies of single mothers were treated in this country as being akin to some kind of sub-species. It's appalling. Truly appalling," Kenny told national broadcaster RTE.

 

"This is not something that happened way back in the dawn of history, this happened in some cases in our own time."

 

RTE quoted Kenny as saying that if the commission's terms of reference needed to be extended "then this would happen".

 

The commission is already investigating 17 other church-run homes but advocacy groups say there were many more and that little is known of what went on, including burial practices and grave locations.

 

"We are aware of over 180 institutions, agencies and individuals who were involved with Ireland's unmarried mothers and their children," the Justice for Magdalenes Research group said in a statement.

 

"We reiterate our call for an expansion of the Commission's terms of reference to include all institutions, and to include investigations of burial practices at all of these locations. It is well known that the systematic abuse extended far beyond the homes the Commission is investigating."

 

The Catholic Church ran many of Ireland's social services in the 20th century, including mother-and-baby homes where tens of thousands of unmarried pregnant women, including rape victims, were sent to give birth.

 

Government records show that in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the mortality rate for "illegitimate" children was often more than five times that of those born to married parents. On average, more than one in four children born out of wedlock died.

 

While run by nuns, the homes received state funding and, as adoption agencies, were also regulated by the state. The church's dominance of Irish society has declined sharply after a series of scandals over the abuse and neglect of children.

 

"It is now imperative that the terms of reference of the Commission are extended to include all institutions," Mary Lou McDonald of the opposition Sinn Fein party said in a statement.

 

"This is the only way to get to the truth."

 

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Alison Williams and Robin Pomeroy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-07

[Trentham]

I wonder how many of them died while being sexually abused.

[Andaman Al]

And they were all supposed to be taken care of in the name of Jesus Christ and in the loving arms of the Church. The world would be better if we set off 3 nukes, the Vatican, Mecca and Jerusalem. That would sort a few issues out. I remember watching a rather harrowing video of this particular 'Single Mothers home'. I will try and find it.

[AhFarangJa]

I wonder if the Catholic Church would agree that the number of unwanted pregnancies was directly attributable to the ban on contraception.

[asiaexpat]

Just another example of The Catholic Church's application of it's doctrine.

[Andaman Al]

Regarding the video's, there are many on youtube. Just put in the name of the "home" from the OP and you will find dozens of videos on the subject of all these 'lost children' and the women that were forced into slavery by the Church, some of them held prisoner for over 50 years! It is shocking and the last home only shut down in the 90's!

[jak2002003]

10 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Just another example of The Catholic Church's application of it's doctrine.

Not only the Catholic Church.... these kind of things happen with most religions. 

[CaptHaddock]

My Irish grandmother's sister died while in an orphanage run by nuns in Ireland.  She was 18 at the time, during the 1930's.  My grandmother believed the nuns killed her.  Probably beat her to death for some infraction or other.

 

Monstrous people in a despicable religion.  With any luck these revelations could finish the doddering Catholic Church in Ireland, but that's probably too much to hope for.

[dlodratsab]

2 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

And they were all supposed to be taken care of in the name of Jesus Christ and in the loving arms of the Church. The world would be better if we set off 3 nukes, the Vatican, Mecca and Jerusalem. That would sort a few issues out. I remember watching a rather harrowing video of this particular 'Single Mothers home'. I will try and find it.

            Could not agree more !

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I wonder if the Catholic Church would agree that the number of unwanted pregnancies was directly attributable to the ban on contraception.

 

It was the evil sin of sex before marriage and of young women giving in to easy.

 

That's the sort of crap they used to come out with. Probably explains why they thought sodomy and child sex abuse were ok.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, CaptHaddock said:

My Irish grandmother's sister died while in an orphanage run by nuns in Ireland.  She was 18 at the time, during the 1930's.  My grandmother believed the nuns killed her.  Probably beat her to death for some infraction or other.

 

Monstrous people in a despicable religion.  With any luck these revelations could finish the doddering Catholic Church in Ireland, but that's probably too much to hope for.

 

Such a sad story - and probable one of many many. Wonder if there was any real investigation or inquest? Of course at that time no one dared question the word of a representative of the Catholic Church.

 

If ever there was a Satan then surely the CC was his creation.

[Trentham]

11 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Such a sad story - and probable one of many many. Wonder if there was any real investigation or inquest? Of course at that time no one dared question the word of a representative of the Catholic Church.

 

If ever there was a Satan then surely the CC was his creation.

The pope is Satan. Do some research on the number 666, Satan and the pope [deliberately not capitalised].  I am an atheist anyway so don't believe any of their dogma.

[TPI]

8 hours ago, dlodratsab said:

            Could not agree more !

Agreed! 

[joecoolfrog]

And so many wish us to believe that only Islam fosters hate !