Irish-Salem.com
Email Us My Blog

 

 

From the website of Paddy Doyle "The God Squad"
http://www.paddydoyle.com/archivenpa/activistshelped.html

Paddy [Doyle] writes: The following article was forwarded to my by Ms. Florence Horsman-Hogan as having appeared in an Irish newspaper. Ireland on Sunday. It is posted here as it arrived to me.

Activist Helped Fabricate Claims Against Brothers.

Ireland on Sunday, 30 July 2007

Gardaí probed false claims by member of sex abuse group.

A Victim support activist has been investigated by Gardaí for allegedly helping a redress board witness to fabricate false accusations of abuse. Senior Gardaí told Ireland on Sunday a file was sent to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) alleging that a named activist had assisted a witness to compile false allegations against Christian Brothers in Artane Industrial School.

The activist, a member of a well-known group, was questioned under section 5 of the 1998 Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, which relates to false allegations. Though the DPP recommended no prosecutions be pursued unless further evidence against the activist comes to light, Gardaí said they believe the activist has coached up to a dozen people.

Ireland on Sunday (IOS) has also seen evidence to corroborate claims made by a senior Christian Brother at the Commission to Enquire into Child Abuse last week, that some alleged abuse victims might be motivated by the prospect of compensation.

The claim, by Br David Gibson, provoked outrage.

But one leaflet issued by victim support groups gives a price list of awards, promising claimants up to €355,000.

Some victim organisations have also backed Br. Gibson's claims that there were co-ordinated efforts to seek compensation from religious orders.

Nearly 5,000 compensation claims have been lodged to the Residential Institutions Redress Board by former inmates and 141 million euro has been paid out to 1,900 victims. It is feared the board will be hearing claims until 2014.

Br Gibson told the Child Abuse Commission "Some of the complaints may have been set up by the Redress Board".

A lot of meetings were organised by solicitors in pubs in England and Ireland. We have a strong suspicion of very big contamination of evidence.

"Ireland on Sunday" (IOS) has seen flyers and leaflets that were distributed in 1999, 2000 and 2001 that corroborate Br. Gibson's claims.

One leaflet, issued on the headed notepaper of the Right of Place group, contains what a leading campaigner has condemned as a price list.

The leaflet states: The following is a draft document, instituted by the four survivor groups, in reply to a request from the Department of Education We expect the State to be accountable and acknowledge directly the pain and suffering that was inflicted on our members including fear, enforced child labour, neglect, and dispersal of families, hunger.

As an after thought, sexual abuse is added in handwriting.

It continues: Awards to be assessed as follows- €100,000 minimum for all survivors who were incarcerated in orphanages, industrial schools or reformatories. Extra €10,000 for every year spent in an institution. An extra €150,000 for survivors who suffered sexual abuse.

A crude calculation, based on an alleged victim who has spent three years in an institution tells claimants they could hope for €280,000.

The leaflet was distributed by hand, posted and fax in Ireland, Britain, Canada, Australia and the U.S. The four groups named are Right of Place, Survivors of Child Abuse U.K, Aislinn and Alliance Ireland.

Ireland on Sunday has five other leaflets and flyers from a number of named groups, soliciting attendance at child abuse meetings in Britain and Ireland.

Two groups, the Alliance Victim Support group and Let Our Voices Emerge have backed Br. Gibson's claims.

Tom Hayes of Alliance says legitimate cases are being affected by the rush to claim compensation.

"I am asking the Government to stop funding some of these organisations," said Mr Hayes.

There was substance to Br. Gibson's claim. There was a co-ordinated, expert campaign to seek compensation.

Br. Gibson told the commission just three complaints of abuse against Christian Brothers were made prior to 1998.The figure soared to 449 after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced the Redress Board.

Ireland on Sunday 30th July 2007.