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Magdalene victims to sue for decades of mistreatment
Thursday, 5 November 2009
A group of Magdalene laundry abuse victims are to sue the Irish state, the Catholic Church or both for the decades of mistreatment they suffered while in their care.
Five survivors of the infamous laundries met with senior officials from the Republic's Department of Justice yesterday and said afterwards that a class action or constitutional case was inevitable.
It was the first ever meeting between state representatives and Magdalene abuse victims, and follows numerous failed attempts by the women to tell government officials how they were treated while in the laundries.
Magdalene survivors were excluded from a state redress scheme, designed to compensate children who suffered institutional abuse, which was highlighted following the publication of the Ryan report.
But spokesman for the victims' group, Steven O'Riordan, said night that a redress scheme would not befit the abuse these women had suffered.
"They are not really interested in going down this route," said Mr O'Riordan. "It's a case of establishing who was largely responsible, either the Church or State or both, and proceeding with either a class action or constitutional case."
The group, who have been organised by the creators of the documentary 'The Forgotten Maggies', have already sought legal advice and said that a solicitors firm were ready to take them on. Their next step is to issue a letter to the religious orders who ran Magdalene laundries, requesting a similar meeting to yesterday's.
A spokesman for the Department of Justice said: "The meeting lasted around 90 minutes and it was very constructive, helpful and informative."
The group were positive about how the meeting had gone, although one victim, Maureen Sullivan, said she was disappointed by the department's lack of knowledge on the subject. "I hope they are going to look into it as promised and if not we'll be back again to know why," Ms Sullivan said.
The women told how they were taken into the laundries having not committed any crime and treated worse than prisoners during their time inside.
Maureen Taylor (61) was admitted into High Park Convent in Drumcondra, Dublin, in 1964 after spending 16 years in an industrial school.
The Mallow, Co Cork, native spent three years in the laundry and has been left scarred for life, despite being released at the age of 19.
"I could never settle down with a partner and I could never have children because I thought they would end up the same as me," she said.
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i was incaserated in high park laundry ,my crime being pregnant . a socialworker from castlebar sent me there . i thought i was going to a mother and baby home ,but oh no i was sent to repent at high park laundry for the first 6/7 months of my pregnancy . i was 22 years old pregnant and made work in the laundry monday to friday and half day sunday,half hour of tv couple nights a week. looked up and in bed by 7/30pm/8pm.no way of escape in a situation were fire to have broke out or i was to have gone into premature labour ,no nothing or no one to check on anyone of us throughout the long nights .i lay awake thinking many,s the night why dont i get a wage for this but nobody got a wage other then my captors . i was there because i was a sinner a fallen woman , society no longer wanted the likes of me.i am not a fallen woman i am me a human being ashamed of being irish let alone being a magdalena slave .
Posted by catherine | 01.05.10, 19:29 GMT
I hope the women who suffered in these gulags finally at long last get the justice they deserve. I have a lot of respect for these women because they are the christian people the nuns who imprisoned and abused them are not because while they could have made their abusers pay with their lives and burn down their convents they did not because they never lost their humanity. From what I have read of their captors they were one just one step below nazies.
Posted by stephen lambert | 14.03.10, 03:19 GMT
Belfast gal, the answer to your question cannot be given in the space the BT allots. The reasons why are many, its the lack of alternative (how many Catholics are going to turn to YOUR church when it has discrimated against them for countless generations) also the Catholic population dont devote themselves to the people who performed such vile acts. To say so is ignorant ill informed nonsense, Catholics worship 'god' (a silly practice in my book anyway). They generally take little heed of the church. I believe your post has little to do with the 'little children' and is more in line with a pre determined notion that you have about that particular institution. I suggest you ask ordinary catholics who suffered or are sickened by such acts you may get the answer you obviously seek.
Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 06.11.09, 16:27 GMT
When are the Catholic population going to wise up to the henious crimes comitted against innocent children in care and only those brave enough to come forward n a world wide scandal ask of those who hold in high esteem exactly what do you intend to do against the churches clear acceptance of responsibility. Your church alledgedly acts in the name of jesus christ - bear witness to suffer the littel children and ask yourself in this enlightened age how would jesus christ view those who would abuse in his name and bear in mind his deeds re the scribes and pharisees - examine those whom today still offer facile excuses but retain control of your devotion.
Posted by Belfast gal | 05.11.09, 21:37 GMT
It seems to me and I suspect all the rest of the electorate, that the abuse suffered here was a terrible crime.Abuse can be mental, physical or sexual and in the last case it is all three. The answer to crime may be financial compensation but in truth criminals should be tried in court and if found guilty of what are alleged to be the most extreme examples of cruelty they should be imprisoned.
Posted by Keith | 05.11.09, 14:37 GMT