'No knowledge' of abuse at Cork school
Olivia Kelly 05/05/2006
The Presentation order of brothers has "no knowledge" that sexual abuse of children took place in its industrial school at Greenmount in Cork city, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has heard. An allegation of sexual abuse at the school in 1955 and a subsequent inquiry led to the resignation of one brother and another moving to a different post.
Gardaí were called following another incident in 1956. The school was closed in 1959.
Br Dennis Minihan, representing the order, said there was no record of any inquiry and it appeared none had been kept. The order had no information about any other abuse, he said. "If sexual abuse did occur in Greenmount we have no knowledge that it did. If it was done it was done in secret." Seven former pupils of the school have given evidence alleging abuse during the private phase of the inquiry.
Br Minihan worked for five months in the mid-1950s as a supervisor at the school which catered for about 230 boys from the ages of six to 16. When asked if he was aware of sexual abuse in his time there, he replied "absolutely not". He said he had not been aware of the 1955 inquiry at the time, but knew one brother had left the order "of his own volition" and one changed jobs. Little was said about it and any information he was given was "couched in language that was difficult to understand". He said he did not accept that the school's closure related to abuse allegations, rather it was winding down because of a fall in numbers.
Br Minihan did not remember any case of excessive corporal punishment during his time there, but said he was not teaching and his work was mainly confined to yard duties. Research had shown there was "certainly excessive corporal punishment by today's standards", he said. However, he did not accept evidence given during the private session of the hearings that a strap with coins embedded was used to beat the boys. The rules governing industrial schools required the keeping of a "punishment book" to record discipline meted out to the children, but Br Minihan said no copies of any of those books could be found.
Reports made by the school to the Department of Education in 1940-44 suggested corporal punishment had been all but abolished and discipline was based on the forfeit of treats.
Counsel for the inquiry Brian McGovern put it to Br Minihan that these were totally inaccurate. Br Minihan replied he "would have to accept" that they were not true. An internal report by the order in the 1950s described one brother as a "menace" and a "danger". Br Minihan said the man in question was a maverick and had a tendency to raid the fridge in the middle of the night but there was no suggestion of abuse of boys. Br Minihan reiterated the apology of the order to "anybody who experienced hurt or abuse under our care".
© The Irish Times
The Presentation order of brothers has "no knowledge" that sexual abuse of children took place in its industrial school at Greenmount in Cork city, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has heard. An allegation of sexual abuse at the school in 1955 and a subsequent inquiry led to the resignation of one brother and another moving to a different post.
Gardaí were called following another incident in 1956. The school was closed in 1959.
Br Dennis Minihan, representing the order, said there was no record of any inquiry and it appeared none had been kept. The order had no information about any other abuse, he said. "If sexual abuse did occur in Greenmount we have no knowledge that it did. If it was done it was done in secret." Seven former pupils of the school have given evidence alleging abuse during the private phase of the inquiry.
Br Minihan worked for five months in the mid-1950s as a supervisor at the school which catered for about 230 boys from the ages of six to 16. When asked if he was aware of sexual abuse in his time there, he replied "absolutely not". He said he had not been aware of the 1955 inquiry at the time, but knew one brother had left the order "of his own volition" and one changed jobs. Little was said about it and any information he was given was "couched in language that was difficult to understand". He said he did not accept that the school's closure related to abuse allegations, rather it was winding down because of a fall in numbers.
Br Minihan did not remember any case of excessive corporal punishment during his time there, but said he was not teaching and his work was mainly confined to yard duties. Research had shown there was "certainly excessive corporal punishment by today's standards", he said. However, he did not accept evidence given during the private session of the hearings that a strap with coins embedded was used to beat the boys. The rules governing industrial schools required the keeping of a "punishment book" to record discipline meted out to the children, but Br Minihan said no copies of any of those books could be found.
Reports made by the school to the Department of Education in 1940-44 suggested corporal punishment had been all but abolished and discipline was based on the forfeit of treats.
Counsel for the inquiry Brian McGovern put it to Br Minihan that these were totally inaccurate. Br Minihan replied he "would have to accept" that they were not true. An internal report by the order in the 1950s described one brother as a "menace" and a "danger". Br Minihan said the man in question was a maverick and had a tendency to raid the fridge in the middle of the night but there was no suggestion of abuse of boys. Br Minihan reiterated the apology of the order to "anybody who experienced hurt or abuse under our care".
© The Irish Times
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