“A Catholic order of nuns has admitted that emotional abuse and neglect took place in its residential homes in Northern Ireland.
The Sisters of Nazareth have already acknowledged and apologised for physical and sexual attacks which occurred within their properties, a focus of the UK’s largest ever institutional child abuse public inquiry.
A senior member, speaking on behalf of the congregation, said evidence from victims at the Derry homes was “shocking and harrowing”.
Sister Brenda McCall said: “We must accept that at certain times, by certain sisters, things were just not right.”
The treatment of young people, orphaned or taken away from their unmarried mothers, in houses run by nuns, brothers or the state is a key concern of an investigation chaired by retired High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart which is being held in Banbridge, Co Down.
It is considering cases between 1922, the foundation of Northern Ireland, and 1995.
Sister Brenda said the congregation accepted that sisters, older boys and lay people who accessed the homes physically assaulted children. She added that bullying would have occurred.
The nuns have already apologised for physical and sexual abuse and Sister Brenda said that extended to those subjected to emotional harm or neglect.
She explained the order had made a generic apology in the round.
She added: “There has been individuals apologised to if they came forward in the last few years.”
Sister Brenda said: “I would like to say, having been up at the back for the last few weeks, it was a very harrowing and challenging time for us as a congregation and to listen to the evidence given was very harrowing indeed.
“We are a human group, a human organisation and we had people that were champions to the cause and we had people that were a bit weaker and all I can say is we had some wonderful, heroic, I would say inspirational sisters.
“I am proud to stand on their shoulders and carry on the work of the congregation started by our founder (Victoire Larmenier) to work for the… weak of society.””
Nuns admit sexual abuse of children took place under their care[Mirror 5/20/14]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Update: “Some Catholic nuns at a children’s home in the North were sadistic bullies, a former resident has claimed.
A “bleak, harsh and cruel” atmosphere was described by alleged victims at two properties in Belfast run by the Sisters of Nazareth Order, a lawyer told a public inquiry.
More than 100 witnesses from Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge have come forward to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry, headed by a former judge.
Thirteen institutions are being considered by the inquiry panel, which is tasked with making recommendations to Stormont ministers on issues such as compensating alleged victims.
Senior counsel to the inquiry Christine Smith QC quoted one witness, saying: “The nuns were at best indifferent and most often sadistic bullies who spoke with harsh, loud voices in scornful, dismissive tones.”
Ms Smith said the picture was mixed – another child missed the nuns and said they made sacrifices for the youngsters.
But she added that paedophile Fr Brendan Smyth was active there.
“There will be evidence given in this module that he abused children both in Nazareth House and in Nazareth Lodge in Belfast.”
Ms Smith said 102 witnesses have come forward, and more than 90 are expected to give evidence.
The module surrounding Nazareth Lodge and Nazareth House will take more than 40 days, the single biggest in terms of the number of witnesses.
Homes runs by the Sisters in Derry and by the De La Salle order of religious brothers in Rubane House in Kircubbin, Co Down, have already been investigated and testimony taken from children sent by the institutions as migrants to Australia.
The inquiry was established to investigate child abuse in institutional homes in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to 1995.”
Former resident of Belfast children’s home describes ‘sadistic’ nuns[Breaking News 1/5/15 ]
“A Catholic religious order has accepted that paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth abused children while they were in the care of nuns in Northern Ireland, a lawyer has told a public inquiry.
Fr Smyth visited two south Belfast residential homes at the centre of the independent investigation into wrongdoing stretching back decades. He was later convicted of dozens of child abuse charges over a 40-year period .
More than 100 witnesses from Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge have come forward to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry, headed by a former judge.
Senior counsel to the inquiry Christine Smith QC said: “Sexual abuse of children was perpetrated by the now notorious Fr Brendan Smyth.”
“There will be evidence given in this module that he abused children both in Nazareth House and in Nazareth Lodge in Belfast,” she said.
Sr Brenda McCall, a senior figure in the Sisters of Nazareth order which ran the now closed Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge in South Belfast, gave a statement to the inquiry.
Ms Smith said: “She states that the congregation accepts that Brendan Smyth did abuse children while they were in our care and continued to abuse some after they left our care.
“She also accepts that he visited both Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge.”
Outside the hearing Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan said: “It has already been established that among the abusers was notorious serial paedophile Father Brendan Smyth, who was allowed to use both children’s homes as a personal playground for his depravity.
“It is clear that the abuse suffered by the children at these two Belfast homes represents a monumental failure by both religious and state institutions in Northern Ireland.”
Thirteen institutions are being considered by the inquiry panel headed by Sir Anthony Hart, which is tasked with making recommendations to Stormont ministers on issues such as compensating alleged victims of physical and sexual abuse and neglect.
The Sisters of Nazareth have been subjected to stinging criticism from former residents at two homes they ran in Derry.
Despite evidence of relatively progressive conditions similar allegations have been repeated by those who lived in the two Belfast homes; Nazareth House which closed its doors in 2000 and Nazareth Lodge which stopped accepting children in 1998.
Some alleged they had been humiliated, punished for bed wetting, locked in cupboards and beaten daily.
In 1984 an investigation was launched after claims children were put in a room with dead cockroaches, food was received from a supermarket which was not acceptable to the general public and at Nazareth Lodge soap was allegedly broken up and put in a boy’s mouth so that he retched after swearing.
Ms Smith QC quoted one witness, saying: “The nuns were at best indifferent and most often sadistic bullies who spoke with harsh, loud voices in scornful, dismissive tones.””
Order accepts Fr Brendan Smyth abused children in North homes[Irish Times 1/5/15]
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