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AN 80-YEAR-OLD woman who worked in a Magdalene Laundry for six years from the age of 11 has won her battle for compensation.
Mary Cavner, who now lives in the UK, worked at the Good Shepherd’s Convent in Co Cork following her father’s death.
Speaking to the BBC previously, Cavner said it was a shock being back in the outside world after leaving the Laundry, adding that “it really does affect you”.
News of the award was first reported by the Press Association. The amount was granted for unpaid work during her time at the laundry, the news wire service reported.
BBC has reported that the figure awarded is €76,000.
In February 2013, then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny issued a State apology to the women impacted by the Magdalene Laundries.
Cavner had applied for the Irish government’s Magdalene Laundries scheme in 2013 on the basis that she had worked at one of the laundries.
However, she was told the one she worked at didn’t fall under the records, according to her solicitor Chun Wong, who spoke on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One.
Cavner then made a complaint to the Irish Ombudsman in 2016.
In November 2017, the Ombudsman published a report regarding the scheme, in which it recommended that the scheme be extended. That recommendation was adopted by the Irish government in November 2018.
Cavner reapplied under an extended scheme in 2018.
“It wasn’t until May 2019 that Mary was finally given an award under the extended scheme,” Wong said.
Wong said that she hopes Cavner’s case will help other women in similar situations.
“Mary has had a very, very supportive family who have helped her every step of the way. She’s had access to legal representation, which a lot of women don’t have,” she said.
When asked how Cavner is feeling following the news of the compensation, Wong said “it’s still a bit surreal for her and her family”.
“It’s been very emotional, the journey … she’s spent longer fighting the Irish government than she had been in the Magdalene Laundry,” she said.
Wong added that Cavner was “never sure if she would ever see the compensation”.
“Her fear was always she would die before she got a penny of the money due to her,” she said.
“It’s never been about the money for Mary because no amount of money is ever going to be able to compensate her for the trauma that she went through as a child, but it’s about calling the Irish government to account.”
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Ombudsman Peter Tyndall said: “Mary Cavner and other women who worked in Magdalene Laundries have waited a long time to receive redress.
“I very much welcome the decision of the Department of Justice in relation to Mary’s case and in the cases of other women who worked in Magdalene Laundries but were resident in adjoining institutions.”
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Can’t believe this is only being implemented in the US when it’s been well documented in Europe. Another one that’s just been realised in the past 2-3 years is giving them a soother. This again drives the percentage down lower still as they reckon using a soother helps the baby regulate their breathing.
I know someone who lost a baby to SIDS but still insists it’s fine for babies to sleep on their front because she was always placed on her front and her mother’s a nurse. Apparently studies have shown it’s fine, but I think you’ll find a study to support anything.
Sounds like a coping mechanism. Poor woman.
Any articles not from AFP? Any non-American viewpoints on these sites?
AFP is Agence France Presse. Cheese eating surrender monkeys instead of hot dog eating blubber monkeys.
When was placing a baby front way down ever a good idea.
They do in the hospital especially if baby has a lot of mucous, obviously this is completely supervised
General concern was that if you left a baby on its back it could choke on its own vomit so there was some thought behind it… Parents predating 1992 weren’t idiots..
I don’t know why you would put a baby in a room on it’s own?
“Other strategies include offering a child a pacifier at nap time and night as well as ensuring they have all the recommended vaccinations” – this is a hard hitting report that doesn’t half speak the obvious.
My babies always slept better once they moved into their own room. I think I was keeping them awake and vice versa. But for my own peace of mind I purchased an Angel Mat which beeps to let you know if baby stops breathing.
We bought the ‘Angel Care’ monitor with the mattress sensor and it went off twice for our first born and once for our second born. One of the times it went off for our first born we jumped out of bed and I turned on the light – the baby didn’t move. My wife stirred/shook the child and we heard him take a massive intake of breath. I am glad we spent the 100 euros on the Angel Care monitor. It is more expensive than other monitors, but it does go off it your baby stops moving/breathing.
So how are you supposed to keep a baby warm if you live in a house that gets really cold overnight and you can’t use a blanket? Just curious
Sleep suit, gro bag or similar..
have your say