Roman Catholic church pays $110 million to abuse victims in Ireland

Church & State, Mar 2002

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has agreed to a one-time payout of $110 million to victims who suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse at "faith-based" schools, in exchange for immunity from future lawsuits.

The agreement, announced in late January, involved 18 Catholic religious orders that ran a network of governmentfunded homes for children of impoverished families and single mothers. The school network operated from the early 20th century until the 1990s. Recently, thousands of adults who lived in the institutions as children have alleged they were abused while under church care.

Controversy flared in 1999, when the Irish state broadcasting network, RTE, began airing a series of reports about the physical and sexual abuse of children at the so-called "industrial schools." The documentaries asserted that, aside from the abuse, many children were essentially used as slave labor in operations that made money for the church. Instead of being taught to read, they were put to work in sewing operations or tilling fields.

Numerous victims told horrific stories of abuse. Many later filed lawsuits. In an effort to stem the litigation, church officials entered into negotiations with the government. Under the agreement, the church will provide $110 million in cash and property to pay restitution and for counseling for survivors. Any victim who accepts restitution must agree to not initiate legal action against the church or the government.

About 150,000 children passed through the industrial schools over the years. An estimated 20,000 are still alive today, and more than 3,500 have already expressed interest in compensation. Some survivors fear that the $110-million fund will not be enough and that the taxpayers will be left to pick up the rest.

"The church has gotten away very cheaply," John Kelly, a spokesman for a group called Survivors of Child Abuse, told reporters. "The taxpayer should not pick up the bill for abuse committed by members of the religious orders."