Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_06_26/GA_2606_E1_006.pdf 

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6 NEWS

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

June 26 2008

Brothers of Charity chief denies that service was `secretive'
BY MARY O'CONNOR The chief executive of the Brothers of Charity Services in Galway has rejected an accusation that the service was "secretive". Patrick McGinley was commenting during his presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on Tuesday. The committee heard claims that the McCoy report on the inquiry into allegations of abuse at care centres run by the Brothers of Charity Services in Galway during the 33-year period from 1965 to 1998 - which was published last year - did not contain "commentary" or "useful assessment"and that the terms of reference were agreed with the institution. These allegations have been rejected by the Brothers of Charity. Responding to a presentation made on the day by Margaret Kennedy - an external trainer on client protection who carried out courses with Brothers of Charity staff and who has been critical of the report, saying it did not critically analyse what she alleged were the failings of the Brothers of Charity - he rejected her assertion that the service was "secretive". "On the contrary the service had requested 28 extensive external assessments over the past 12 years. The outcomes of these assessments were discussed in detail with staff and families in every centre and had been sent to the Western Health Board/Health Service Executive." He told this newspaper that the Brothers of Charity Services "cooperated fully and completely" with every aspect of the Western Health Board inquiry. "This [inquiry] had been requested by me in the first place in December 1998." Both he and Dr Mary Davis, head of psychology at the Brothers of Charity Services in Galway, outlined that "extensive client protection measures" have been "meticulously developed" over the years to ensure the safety of children and adults who use "our services". "We have dedicated and hard-working staff who make every possible effort to ensure that we operate to all known guidelines and to highest possible standards." Pupils climbed out of their bedroom windows at night or tied sheets tightly around their bodies to protect them from potential abuse, according to the report of the inquiry into allegations of abuse at the Brothers of Charity Services in Galway between 1965 and 1998. The report, which was commissioned by the HSE, dealt with allegations of abuse at the Holy Family Special School in Renmore and the Brothers of Charity Residential Services in Clarenbridge. Some 21 current and former clients of the services in Galway made allegations against 18 adult males (11 brothers, four lay members of staff
The Brotehrs of Charity home at KIlcornan.

and three former service users) during the 33 year period. Six of the 18 adults had allegations made against them by two or more complainants. The long awaited 176page report confirmed that two of the 18 were convicted, eight are deceased and the remainder are no longer involved in the provision of services to vulnerable

clients with the Brothers of Charity or utilising their services. The report outlined the complainants made 27 allegations of sexual abuse against 16 individuals and six allegations of physical abuse against three individuals. All of the people against whom the allegations were made were male. Two of the 21

people who made the allegations of abuse were female, the rest were male. Most of the victims said they did not report the alleged abuse at the time because they felt there was noone who would listen. Some said they did not know whom they could have told. Others said they were told by their alleged abusers not

to tell anyone about the abuse. One told the inquiry of what he perceived was an implicit threat of being sent to an industrial school if he disclosed what had happened. Some of the victims of the alleged abuse said its devastating effects included having flashbacks, behavioural difficulties, suffering from

anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse and being unable to hold down a relationship or trust people. The investigation which took eight years to complete outlined that each person who came forward to the inquiry with a complaint was offered support and counselling.

Mark the KLM plane crash, council are told
BY JESSICA HIGGINS Galway City Council are being called on to commemorate the KLM air disaster which happened 50 years ago this summer. Being just six months after the Manchester United plane crash at Munich, August 15 1958 is a date that many people living in Galway will still remember vividly. A Dutch KLM airliner `Hugo De Groot' crashed into the sea approximately 200 miles west of Slyne Head. Unfortunately, despite an attempted rescue operation by the crew of Galway's MV Naomh Eanna ship, there were no survivors of the air disaster. By the time the vessel received the mayday call and reached the site, stopping off first at Kilronan, Aran Islands to pick up Dominican priest Fr Leahy and two nurses, there was nothing they could do. John Reck, a deck steward onboard the MV Naomh Eanna, said that he still remembers searching for survivors. Crew from a small Aran boat sailing beside them made three attempts to pass nine bodies over to the ship, but the currents were too strong, and the bodies had to be abandoned. Former Galway mayor Martin Quinn said that the plane crash was the biggest thing that had ever happened in Galway. "World press descended on the city and it brought a huge focus to Galway." Mr Quinn believes that a memorial service would be an appropriate way of remembering all the lives that were lost that day, as some of the unidentified bodies were buried in a communal grave, in the New Cemetery. Mr Reck, also a Galway native, agrees that a memorial service would be an ideal way to "mark the sad occasion that happened in our city nearly 50 years ago".

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