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Keith Burke RTE

HSE apologises 'unreservedly' to women raped while they were children in foster care

“It’s not a life, I’m doing the prison sentence.”

THE HSE HAS apologised unreservedly to three women for failings in their care after all three were repeatedly raped over a period of seven years.

The girls were raped by a teenage boy while in the care of his parents.

In last night’s RTÉ Investigates, a woman waived her right to anonymity and named the abuser as 29-year-old Keith Burke of Addergoolemore, Dunmore, Co Galway.

In recent weeks, Burke was sentenced after he was found guilty of raping three foster children between 2003 and 2007 – all three girls were under 10 years of age at the time.

One of those abused, Rachel Barry, spoke to the programme. From 2006, when she was nine years of age, she was regularly raped by Keith Burke.

During one stay, Burke took turns raping Rachel and another woman, named in show as “Amy”, forcing each girl to watch what was happening to the other.

Myself and “Amy” in turns had to strip down with nothing only our socks on and while he had obviously done it to ‘Amy’ before, he called her over and I had to watch what was happening to her.”

Disclosure

The HSE, who had child protection responsibility at the time, found Rachel’s disclosure about her abuse “credible”. However, because no prosecution followed, “Amy” and another child, a boy, continued to live at the home.

When “Amy” disclosed her abuse, a garda investigation discovered a third victim.

In 2000 – as a five year old girl – ‘Sarah’ was also placed into foster care with the family. Over the following years she was systematically raped by Keith Burke.

When the case went to trial Keith Burke pleaded not guilty meaning ‘Amy’, ‘Sarah’ and Rachel had to take the stand and give evidence – going through every detail of what happened to them.

Last July Keith Burke was convicted following a nine day trial – he was found guilty on 23 sample charges – including rape, sexual assault and buggery.

Just a fortnight ago – at his sentence hearing – Keith Burke finally admitted his guilt. He was sentenced to seven and a half years for the rape charges and concurrent terms of six and a half and five years for the remaining charges.

The final year was suspended.

Sentence

RTE Investigates - Fostered and Failed - Rachel Barry Rachel Barry RTÉ RTÉ

Rachel says the sentencing didn’t help.

“I said what’s the point, what was the point of me coming out and telling anyone because I’m suffering more than he has and for way longer, for nearly his triple his sentence. And not just me, my family, the other victims, their families.

He took my virginity away from me at nine – it’s sickening because I can never get that back. In my eyes I was dirty, in my body I was dirty so how could I expect anyone to treat me any other way but dirty.

 

In a statement Tusla said: Tusla and the HSE have been involved in the lives of the victims for a number of years and “in some cases this involvement continues to this day”. The priority is to” continue to support them in their lives as they see fit and appropriate”.

A HSE statement said:

The HSE apologises unreservedly to the three women for failings in care they received while they were in foster care arranged by HSE’s Galway Community Care between 2005 and 2007.

“While no apology can undo the harm inflicted on them, it is important that the HSE expresses a heartfelt apology at this time.

“All of the relevant historic files are with Tusla since 2014.

“The HSE has been in contact with Tusla in order to discuss how best to determine whether this case raises any concerns for HSE delivered services today.”

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    Mute Mogh Roith
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:04 AM

    Needs to be read by every gobdaw who says “what can government do, there is a war on” when discussing cost of living crisis.

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    Mute Gerard Carthy
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:26 AM

    @Mogh Roith: Yes if oil was intrinsically more expensive their turnover would be up but not profits. Price is speculation and profiteering on markets.
    Ditto grain. 2022 will be the second largest grain production year on record, and demand is falling somewhat. We’re quite likely to have to much grain this year.

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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:52 AM

    @Mogh Roith: You have to split it out though, there is bugger all the Irish government can do about BP profits – they’re a UK based company and only the UK can do anything on that front.

    There is, however, something the Irish government can do about domestic utility providers by introducing caps or linking any increase in prices to the size of profits being made.

    Be aware though, that it needs to be done right – the UK have run a system of energy price caps for years now and the entire system there is now in turmoil with bankruptcies and now, in October, projected doubling of consumer costs.

    The caps won’t work unless there is a strong legislative framework to deal with price rise requests.

    Ireland does not do string regulation very well unfortunately.

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    Mute Jerriko17
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:10 AM

    Absolutely scandalous that the fossil fuel industry and also utilities including our own Bord Gais are posting huge profits at a time when us the user are faced with huge fuel bills…. Time to hit these guys with huge windfall taxes and start trying to switching to renewables. And not a dickie bird about this scandal from our politicians across most parties but when there’s a mention about a miniscule carbon tax, or someone questions turf cuting, they’re up in arms!!!! Maybe there’d be no need for carbon taxes if we had the cahones to take on the fossil fuel industry, bankers, multinationals… Etc etc etc.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 10:31 AM

    @Jerriko17: Is it ‘scandalous’ though? It’s been happening forever

    19
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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 10:55 AM

    @Jerriko17: they have finally found a way to have a war without effecting profits what a world

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    Mute Jerriko17
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 3:07 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: No problem with companies making reasonable profits but this is a two fingers up to the rest of us trying to cope with the damage the fossil fuel industries has, and continues to cause. I’d call that scandalous!!! But those profits are probably funding part of our pensions so who wants to rock that boat!!! More than ever we need people with ethics and principles in politics but sadly they are very scarce.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:07 AM

    Read a few headlines to yesterday saying “relief for drivers as fuel goes under €2 a litre” so in other words its going to be always around that price now

    162
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    Mute JedBartlett
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:12 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: Yep, people are slowly being conditioned to be grateful that petrol or diesel is approx €2 per liter.

    178
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    Mute Colm Coughlan
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:36 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: Was always going to happen, get used to €2.13 being considered high and then soon as it hits €2 or lower we think we are getting a good price.

    70
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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:03 AM

    Disgusting! When countries are struggling with living costs.

    183
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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:08 AM

    All of the big companies are making record breaking profits. Yet we’re in a global cost of living crisis. It’s not costs that are pushing prices up, it’s greed, profit hunting to the detriment of their consumers.

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:27 AM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: they need to recover the losses they had during covid aswell as build up profits as more and more people move away from oil. We have found the new normal price so profits can be maintained as consumption goes down.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 1:24 PM

    @Derek Lyster: BP supposedly (creative accounting comes into play always) made a loss of $5.7b in 2020. That was completely made back in 2021 when they recorded a profit of $12.85b for the year. In the half year to date for 2022 they have made $14.7b in profit. 1st quarter was $6.2b and 2nd quarter $8.5b. So yeah the only losses they experienced were in 2020 and they’ve already covered those losses and remain in profit.

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    Mute OConnelj
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:51 AM

    Why has my standing charge and unit cost of electricity increased while my provider claims that it is suppling 100% renewable energy? So are they lying or just price gouging?

    88
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    Mute Billy McNamara
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 10:29 AM

    @OConnelj: I’d hazard a guess. Price gouging.

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    Mute Geoff Bateman
    Favourite Geoff Bateman
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:13 AM

    Was this all part of the Covid Plan???

    79
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:33 AM

    @Geoff Bateman: Yep. Wait til they activate all the chips they put into the jabs too. When they turn them on, people will stop complaining and agree to let AIB close their cash branches

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    Mute Peter
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:19 AM

    Well thank god they are ok and made a little profit was very concerned for them that they wouldnt. Those executives need to have the massive bonus and options pack or they could be forced to mingle with the ordinary people.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:30 AM

    @Peter: The holiday homes on Long Island have to be paid for and maintained!!!

    49
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 10:32 AM

    @David Corrigan: Even if they’re never lived in.

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    Mute Peter
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 11:05 AM

    @David Corrigan: you left out the pair of Lear jets just so they have a spare and of course the 10 high end sports cars they never use as they get driven around in the rolls.

    10
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    Mute Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:13 AM

    No worries, our Government is “considering” a Windfall tax…

    53
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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 3:25 PM

    @Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown: Worldwide newspaper journalists need to get the full list of the big decision-makers on all these companies/international davos type clubs printed onto a deck of cards like the US did with their terrorist list. Send a deck to every journalist in the world.. Dig into every aspect of their lives and make their lives a living hell, 24 hr paparazzi; pay off bank workers; hire private investigators; door stop everything connected to them. The top 0.001% of the world’s powerful need the legs cut from under them, they’re making c you next tuesday out of the rest of us at this stage.

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    Mute Tony Mc Grath
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 12:34 PM

    Where are the figures for the Irish Companies and service providers here. It woul be interesting to see the profits of companies such as Electric Ireland etc. We’re all aware that there is no proper regulation in this country i.e whatever rise in prices they ask for, they get, without many questions being asked. Remember the farce of the Banks regulation.

    17
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    Mute François Pignon
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:09 AM

    That’s gas!

    17
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    Mute MickN
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 2:59 PM

    The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, as designed.. We are getting mugged and we should be electing people to challenge this but we don’t we choose pain, why?

    17
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
    Favourite thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 9:09 AM

    Money is a bore, nearly everything else is more interesting.

    12
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    Mute Dean
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 1:37 PM

    There was me thinking inflation wasn’t caused by corporate profits

    8
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    Mute james comiskey
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 4:44 PM

    It says in the article they lost over 20bn in Q1. But I guess most people were happy enough to just get annoyed with the headline.

    5
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    Mute JC O'Connachain
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 7:04 PM

    Greed is a knife and the scars run deep

    3
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    Mute J Mac
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    Aug 2nd 2022, 10:29 PM

    They are curbing inflation by crippling us all

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