Commission seeks information on sexual abuse in schools

The Commission of Investigation examining the handling of historical child sexual abuse in schools has called on members of the public here and abroad to come forward with any information that could help its work.

A survey launched by the commission last month has received hundreds of responses, but the team is keen to hear from others before it closes on 7 December.

New information has emerged in relation to schools that were not previously examined, which is why the commission is appealing for more people to take the survey.

The Commission of Investigation's remit relates to the handling of concerns relating to child sexual abuse in all schools between 1927 and 2013.

It was established after a Scoping Inquiry into day and boarding schools run by religious orders revealed widespread historical abuse.

The commission's work is much wider than the Scoping Inquiry. As a statutory body, it holds far more power, enabling it, for example, to compel witnesses and documentation.

Its formal investigative hearings are also legally mandated to be conducted in private to protect sensitive information.

The examination it is conducting relates to all schools - not just those run by religious orders - including primary, secondary, community, comprehensive schools and special schools.

It is open to survivors, family members and anyone with experiences or knowledge of abuse, including those who were in professional roles or connected to schools like teachers, social workers, healthcare professionals, or classmates.

The survey, which can be completed online or via hard copy, was launched in the first week of October and has received more responses than the Scoping Inquiry from people in every county as well as from abroad.

Independent, confidential, survivor-centered support is being provided by the One in Four group for those who may need it.

The organisation, which supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse has received calls daily since the survey launched and some team members have travelled to meet people who have needed help and advice.

CEO Deirdre Kenny said there are cases where people are not ready to fill in the questionnaire and "that's ok, there is no pressure".

Already the survey has brought new information to light; however, in some instances, there is only a single response about how a particular concern or complaint was handled.

The commission believes in instances where one person has raised concerns; there may be others with similar experiences regarding the same school, but who have not yet completed the survey.

Although the survey closes on 7 December, latecomers will not be turned away, but the commission needed a deadline to move on to the next phase of work which will begin in the new year.

It will involve two distinct but equally important workstreams: a formal investigation and a Survivor Engagement Programme.

The investigation strand will examine the handling of cases and the mishandling of cases using a sampling approach, based in part, on information from the survey.

The engagement phase will involve survivors explaining the impact the abuse had on them and what they would like to see next in relation to future policy development around child protection.

'They want to know why it happened and how it was allowed to happen'

Kieran McGrath is an independent safeguarding consultant on child protection and welfare matters. He led the trauma-informed survivor engagement process for the Scoping Inquiry and is one of four commissioners involved in the latest Commission of Investigation.

Mr McGrath has spoken publicly to encourage others to come forward and to point out that survivors are at the heart of their work.

"Survivors told us what happened, but they want to know why it happened and how it was allowed to happen and why things were done that shouldn't have been done."

The work of the commission spans an 87-year period, and while there is arguably a perception it relates to older generations who experienced child sexual abuse in schools, it is not the case.

According to Ms Kenny, CSO figures and the work of One in Four, show that younger people have experienced abuse in schools.

"This commission is for you too," she said.

"We'd encourage people to reach out for support, to get the information they need either from the commission's website or talk to our colleagues in One in Four to see if it's something they would be open to.

"It's an opportunity to tell the story of the generations obviously from the 80s, 70s and 60s, but also the 90s, and I've no doubt that there are experiences where stories haven't been told and I think it's really important that we address that in this commission."

The commission has five years to complete its work, and it has four years left.

It is "determined" to stick to that timeframe, according to Mr McGrath.

"The five years was because we were unsure as to how many people would come forward, there are other commissions that have lasted a lot longer than that, but we are determined that will not happen, we want to stick to our time scale," he said.

He added that there's a very "good attitude" in the Commission and a lot of "determination to get it right".

"The way to get it right is to make survivors feel we are on track with them and we communicate with them.

"After the closing date of the survey, we will start analysing the data, we'll begin in earnest in the new year and we'll communicate with survivors what's happening all along the way."

The survey is available on the Commission of Investigation's website.

---

Helpline

Anyone seeking help or support can contact One in Four confidentially on 01 611 465 or coi@oneinfour.ie