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Accusations of Abuse in
Institutions
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Index: Accusations in Institutions
The Press
May 27, 2003
Evil done
Editorial
The
extent of the wrongdoing that went on at Marylands, the St John of God school
in Christchurch, is in danger of being submerged. The sheer number of boys and
teachers involved, the closeness of the events to
The
The moral dimension is reflected in the order's offer of $4 million to more
than 50 of the complainants. The legal dimension is reflected in the trial of a
former brother, Bernard McGrath, charged with sodomising a boy over six years,
and a police investigation of the other claims. Both processes have yet to run
their course, but already there are doubts about their ability to fully account
for what went on at
The court case already under way will no doubt be conducted scrupulously and
will reach a just outcome, but the police investigation of other complaints is
more problematic. In some instances the abuse took place more than three
decades ago, a passage of time that will have eroded memories and removed some
participants and witnesses from the scene. The police therefore have a
difficult task in piecing together with any detail what took place, let alone
in gathering enough sound evidence to make charges stick in court. In such
circumstances it would be optimistic to think that the law can offer sufficient
redress and retribution.
Sensibly, St John of God has, in effect, recognised this. Its offers of
financial compensation and pastoral care to 56 of the more than 70 complainants
is an admission of guilt, and a sign that it has no wish to defend its brothers'
behaviour in court.
This is appropriate. Legal punishment must be pursued vigorously where it can,
if only to underline the fact that society grants no right to the powerful and
privileged to abuse those in their care. But what is paramount is the
establishment and making public of the facts of the case, the rooting out of
the causes of the abuse, and the compensation of those harmed. All of this is
in the power of St John of God to do.
It seems to be attempting to fulfil the agenda. The amount of compensation it
is offering and its spiritual support of complainants is welcome, even if these
moves come after years of hesitation and attempts to limit the scandal and keep
it secret. But nothing like full disclosure is on offer -- a serious impediment
to the healing of victims and the restoration of public faith in the order.
All the detail of cases cannot be made public because of the need to maintain
the anonymity of the abused. Pending criminal action limits the order's
openness. Nor is the chapter and verse of incidents suitable for inclusion in
the public record. But the level of disclosure that is needed, and that can be
reasonably made, is not apparently being reached by the order. It has not
seemingly made clear enough how extensive the abuse was or what structures have
been put in place to ensure it does not recur. Nor does there seem to have been
full disclosure about the ill- discipline that allowed the abuse to begin and
continue. Not all those responsible, perpetrators and supervisors, seem to have
been named or their punishments listed.
These matters are not just the business of the order or