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Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

New helpline for Mother and Baby Home survivors concerned about risk still posed by abuser

Tusla said perpetrators may have been involved in the abuse of multiple children over time.

THE CHILD AND family agency has appealed for Mother and Baby Home survivors who were abused as children to contact a new helpline if they are concerned that a current child may be at risk from the person who harmed them.

Tusla said following the recent publication of the Final Report on the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes it is aware that many women who were connected to Mother and Baby Homes and gave birth were underage at the time.

“In some cases, they became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse,” the agency said. “This may mean that the person who caused them harm could have continued to abuse other children, and/or many be a risk to children today.”

A dedicated helpline has been set up and can be reached by calling freephone: 1800 805 665, available until Friday 14 May 2021, from 10am to 4pm daily.

Speaking today, Cormac Quinlan, director of transformation and policy, Tusla said the agency’s responsibility to keep children safe includes those who could be at risk from someone who harmed a child in the past.

“We recognise how difficult it is for someone to talk about an abusive experience but sharing experiences and information helps us to keep current children safe,” he said.

“We know from the numerous reports about historical child sexual abuse in Ireland that many perpetrators of abuse were involved in the abuse of multiple children over time. We are aware that some women may have concerns that they want to share, but don’t want to make a complaint directly to An Garda Síochána.

“In these cases, we will listen, assist, advise, and act to keep children safe. We will also share reports of abuse with An Garda Síochána, as we are obliged to do.”

Gardaí have also appealed to anyone who wishes to report a crime relating to a pregnancy and/or abuse involving their stay at a Mother and Baby Home to contact them. They have already been contacted by a number of people wishing to report such crimes since their appeal last week.

A dedicated email address is in place: motherandbabyhomes@garda.ie. A confidential freephone number is also available: 1800 555 222.

Tusla said anyone contacting An Garda Síochána on such matters will receive personal contact within 48 hours.

“All complaints will be dealt with in a sensitive manner, taken seriously and examined. If they can’t be investigated due to issues such as the loss of evidence due to the passage of time or the death of witnesses and/or suspects then this will be explained to complainants,” the agency said.

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    Mute Eggfuel
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    Mar 20th 2012, 7:09 AM

    What a country Ireland is at last growing into to. Its starting to mature at last… Excellent idea

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    Mute Mark O'Flaherty
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    Mar 20th 2012, 10:40 AM

    Its about time Irish heroes who fought in the great war, world war 2 and other wars for foreign armies, namely the British army are remembered. Credit has to be given to Myles Dungan and Kevin Myers for their continuous writing on this topic over the years and of course Mary McAleese for the fantastic work she did in her time as president.

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    Mute Eggers
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    Mar 20th 2012, 11:03 AM

    There was great economic pressure at the time of this recruitment, jobs were scare and people thought that the war would be short, It was a bit of an adventure for a lot of them. Unfortunately it did not turn out like that and the Irish suffered the greatest proportion of fatalities per capita of any people in the allied forces. They were treated as cannon fodder, there was nothing noble or heroic about being ordered out in your thousands to climb up a sea cliff while thousands of Ottoman soldiers shoot at you or charging across a bare field at German artillery. I certainly feel pity for them and how they were used. Like Ireland at the time, most of the men from the south in uniform were pro independence and freedom. Some were not, several of the RIC men that opened up on Bloody Sunday had done their service at the front in WW1. Countless men in the IRA, like the great Tom Barry had fought for years in WW1. My own Grand Uncle fought in WW1 and brought back weapons and grenades for my Grand Father’s IRA unit.

    There is nothing heroic in dying in mud at the hands of an enemy miles away in your thousands for a side that had no trouble with you going over first but nor do I despise them. Money was tight, jobs scare and the pressure to join up was massive. I’m just sad that they died the way they did, same as if they had fought for the Czar or the Kaiser.

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    Mute S P Mc Grath
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    Mar 20th 2012, 11:54 AM

    cannon fodder is all the Irish were in the trenches!!

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    Mute Eggers
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    Mar 20th 2012, 12:31 PM

    Indeed and a poignant point was that Unionist regiments and Nationalist regiments were both seen as Irish by the British colonels and used for first waves attacks.

    A man from Galway or from East Belfast was viewed as just as useful as stopping a German bullet, whatever flag he doodled in letters home.

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    Mute Cez Miname
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    Jan 6th 2014, 12:37 AM

    Bloody nonsense…

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    Mute Cez Miname
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    Jan 6th 2014, 12:34 AM

    “how Irishmen were recruited into British Forces… ” I really get fed up with this lazy post independence language that suggests the irish were dragged into some foreign army. We, like the English, Welsh and Scots simply joined THE Army.

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