Please read the following and in order to maximise to the wider audience can we please share on our own timelines. A SOCIAL HISTORY PROJECT IS AN INSULT. The Government’s recent report on what might be covered by the Inquiry being established is insulting to people who have suffered in these Homes, who have suffered in the Magdalene Laundries, and who have suffered from the practices of illegal adoption. The report proposes that much of these be covered only by a “Social History Project” which would not in any way be an effective investigation. We need your help to show them that we will not let this happen. Please email the proposed letter below, or whatever you feel appropriate, to the emails below. Unless we take action these people will be forgotten, and their suffering will be swept under the carpet of a toothless social history project. Emails: [email protected] [email protected] We also suggest emailing a slightly edited version of the below email to your TD (i.e. including their name etc). You can find their details here - whoismytd/ Proposed Email: Dear Sir/Madam I note with concern that the recent Inter-departmental Group Report on the Inquiry being established in Mother and Baby Homes suggests that the Commission of Investigation into matters related to mother and baby homes should investigate only nine institutions and that all other institutions, including the Magdalene Laundries and County Homes, should be dealt with by way of a social history survey. A social history survey will not meet the State’s obligation to investigate and ensure accountability for abuse that ranges from forced adoption to unlawful imprisonment to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. It will not meet our international human rights obligations to ensure an effective investigation into allegations of human rights violations, and it will lead to any kind of justice for those persons who have suffered due to the conditions in these Homes and Institutions, and as a result of the practices that occurred there, including the practices in relation to adoption. Including the Magdalene Laundries will not repeat work carried out under previous inquiries. The McAleese inquiry did not investigate or make findings about abuse or lines of responsibility for abuse in the Magdalene Laundries, due to its limited terms of reference. The McAleese Committees terms of reference were limited to investigating State involvement with the Laundries only. If the Magdalene Homes are not included in the Inquiry, there will have to be another Inquiry concerning them, or Ireland will be in continued breach of its International Human Rights obligations, due to the numerous deficiencies in the McAleese Reports process. This is the position of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, Amnesty International, and The Irish Human Rights Commission. Given the considerable overlap between the Mother and Baby Homes with the Magdalene Laundries, it would be considerably more expedient to include the Laundries in the Inquiry. I am further troubled by the fact that the Report does not seem to consider a full and effective review of the practices of illegal adoption to be a central and essential part of the Inquiry. I propose that the following institutions, at a minimum, fall within the Commissions investigation into abuse: (i) all institutions licensed by and operating under the Registration of Maternity Homes Act, 1934, (ii) those institutions under the denominations of and other special, auxiliary, and extern institutions operating under the terms of the Public Assistance Act, 1939, (iii) Magdalene institutions and (iv) private institutions and adoption facilitators, and the practices of Irish Adoption Authorities, so that there be a comprehensive investigation into the “adoption black market”. I am troubled by the focus in recent statements by the new Minister for Children on the potential cost to the exchequer as a criterion for limiting the terms of reference, and consequently as justification for excluding many elements of abuse and many institutions which were part of the mistreatment of unmarried women and children born out of wedlock. Cost to the taxpayer is not a defence to the obligation to carry out an effective investigation. Lastly, I wish to state my conviction that the Inquiry should be empowered to make observations regarding evidence suggesting criminal wrongdoing, so that it may make recommendations regarding a criminal investigation into such matters/persons/homes as it deems to be appropriate. Who is my TD? whoismytd
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 09:35:20 +0000
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