Irish police are investigating allegations of widespread physical and sexual abuse of pupils at elite schools across Ireland.
The sexual crime management unit of the Garda Síochána is coordinating the investigation after it emerged this week that 233 people have made allegations against 77 members of the Spiritans, a Catholic religious order.
The Spiritans confirmed payments of more than €5m (£4.4m) in settlements since 2004 in what is believed to be just a fraction of abuse cases dating back decades. Survivors have called for an independent inquiry.
The order runs Blackrock college, a school famous for producing rugby stars and political and business leaders, as well as St Mary’s college, Templeogue college, St Michael’s college and Rockwell college. The missionary order also run schools in Africa. There is evidence that perpetrators taught in Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
In a statement Fr Martin Kelly, leader of the Spiritans, formerly known as the Holy Ghost order, admitted abuse. “I apologise sincerely to those who have been so grievously hurt and assure victims/survivors that our congregation is doing all in its power to help those who have been injured.”
Alan MacGinty, the principal of Blackrock college, said the school was appalled that pupils had suffered harrowing and life-changing experiences. “It is a shameful period in our history which is deeply regretted.”
At least six abusers are known to have operated at the Blackrock campus, which includes a primary school, Willow Park. Asked by the media if there had been a paedophile ring, a Spiritan spokesperson said: “It is difficult to say yes or no. As far as we know now, all six abused separately. Others might say that they were a group if they knew each other as abusers.”
Revelations of abuse and cover-ups by bishops, priests and nuns in parishes and religious-run institutions shattered the Catholic church’s reputation in Ireland in the 1990s and paved the way for the country’s secularisation and liberalisation. This week’s disclosures about abuse in Ireland’s equivalent of Eton renewed the sense of shock.
An RTÉ radio documentary titled Blackrock Boys broke the story on 7 November with accounts by Mark Ryan, 61, and his brother David Ryan, 58, about being groomed and assaulted in the 1970s and 1980s by Fr Tom O’Byrne and other priests. O’Byrne used his access to computers and a swimming pool to entice and corner his victims. “That’s part of the grooming, being chosen, made to feel special,” said Mark.
The brothers made statements to the police which led to charges being brought against O’Byrne but in 2007 a court halted the case because of his age. He died in 2010.
Other former pupils gave devastating accounts to RTÉ radio’s Liveline programme: “They make you feel so ashamed, so guilty, it’s actually frightening,” said one, named Stephen, who said he was abused by three priests.
Scrutiny has fallen on the Jesuits, another religious order that runs elite schools, including Belvedere college in Dublin. The order has received 149 allegations of abuse against 43 priests and paid settlements of €7.4m to 78 people. It launched a redress scheme in January.
