Shock report reveals rampant child abuse in Irish Catholic institutions

Thousands of children raped, beaten and abused over decades

"In some schools a high level of ritualized beating was routine. ... Girls were struck with implements designed to maximize pain and were struck on all parts of the body," the report said. "Personal and family denigration was widespread."

The report also strongly criticized the Department of Education for its handling of complaints about residential institutions.

The report concludes that officials from the church always kept acts of pedophilia under wraps from law enforcement. It also states that the entire system treated young children like inmates in prison and slaves than regular human beings with rights.

"A climate of fear, created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment, permeated most of the institutions and all those run for boys. Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from," the report concluded.

 The report suggests ways the government can recognize the wrong doings of the past, including providing education and counseling to the still suffering victims, erecting a permanent memorial and improving Irelands’ current child protection services.

 To date the Irish government has compensated 12,000 abuse victims an average of $90,000 each. Another 2,000 claims are outstanding.

 Because the Christian Brothers successfully sued the commission in 2004 to withhold the identities of its members, either dead or alive, from the report, no criminal charges can be brought against them.

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Nster.com