Irish Redress Board Comes Under The Spotlight.
Setanta. | 05.06.2008 01:00 | Other Press | Repression | Social Struggles
A Monster that beats all Monsters. Thats what a lone man in the south of Ireland has to say when he talks about his difficulty in defending himself from false allegations of child abuse which were made against him at the Residential Institutions Redress Board, Dublin Ireland.
Redress Board About to be Exposed
The Redress Board and the manner in which it awarded money to people who claimed they were victims of child sexual abuse during their stay in orphanages is coming under the spotlight. The Enquiry Forum has carried out intensive
Investigations, and some of its findings are disturbing.
But that was little solace to someone that prided their reputation. He had to live with that blemish. Not everyone was prepared to do this. The man in the South East of Ireland who was falsely accused took a stand. He was not prepared to act as a fall-guy. He had his name and that of his family to protect. Why should he facilitate what he saw as blatant opportunism and allow the state to solve a problem by dragging his good name through the mud? If other people for whatever reason were prepared to stand idly by he was not. He suffered for his obstinacy and for the stand he took.
And this is where the Redress Board was so horribly flawed. It was based on the premise that innocent people were asked to stay silent. This would allow a quick fix solution. The fall guy would take the rap. The nuns, brothers and priests in the convent would be exonerated, and the claimant would get his financial award.
There was no need for a court hearing. In other words once the accused was named he was presumed to be guilty. He had no opportunity to defend his good name. He could be listed in public as an abuser. His name could appear on the website as an abuser. Horrible allegations could be made against him but there was no recourse. Once the Redress Board released the name of a person he was presumed to be guilty.
The man in the South East of Ireland was amazed and alarmed at the unfairness of the whole affair. He protested his innocence, but it made little difference. In fact, it made things worse. The more he protested, the more the Irish state tried to squeeze him out. It was determined to keep the lid on things. If he were to expose the Redress Board and the manner in which it processed claims, a national scandal
would have ensued. That danger is still there. No wonder the man with the story
is under so much pressure. He has a lot to reveal.
The Enquiry Forum is on standby.
The Redress Board and the manner in which it awarded money to people who claimed they were victims of child sexual abuse during their stay in orphanages is coming under the spotlight. The Enquiry Forum has carried out intensive
Investigations, and some of its findings are disturbing.
But that was little solace to someone that prided their reputation. He had to live with that blemish. Not everyone was prepared to do this. The man in the South East of Ireland who was falsely accused took a stand. He was not prepared to act as a fall-guy. He had his name and that of his family to protect. Why should he facilitate what he saw as blatant opportunism and allow the state to solve a problem by dragging his good name through the mud? If other people for whatever reason were prepared to stand idly by he was not. He suffered for his obstinacy and for the stand he took.
And this is where the Redress Board was so horribly flawed. It was based on the premise that innocent people were asked to stay silent. This would allow a quick fix solution. The fall guy would take the rap. The nuns, brothers and priests in the convent would be exonerated, and the claimant would get his financial award.
There was no need for a court hearing. In other words once the accused was named he was presumed to be guilty. He had no opportunity to defend his good name. He could be listed in public as an abuser. His name could appear on the website as an abuser. Horrible allegations could be made against him but there was no recourse. Once the Redress Board released the name of a person he was presumed to be guilty.
The man in the South East of Ireland was amazed and alarmed at the unfairness of the whole affair. He protested his innocence, but it made little difference. In fact, it made things worse. The more he protested, the more the Irish state tried to squeeze him out. It was determined to keep the lid on things. If he were to expose the Redress Board and the manner in which it processed claims, a national scandal
would have ensued. That danger is still there. No wonder the man with the story
is under so much pressure. He has a lot to reveal.
The Enquiry Forum is on standby.
Setanta.
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