VICTIMS OF SEXUAL and physical abuse within the Irish education system have expressed anger over the exclusion of “barbaric” corporal punishment from a major new inquiry into abuse in Irish schools.

Minister for Education Helen McEntee earlier this month announced a new Commission of Investigation into historical sexual abuse in all Irish day and boarding schools, appointing a retired High Court judge to head the inquiry.

Plans by the newly established commission will deal only with allegations of sexual abuse has left a cohort of people, some of whom were also sexually abused, feeling disappointed and angry – as there are no plans to examine extreme physical violence meted out to generations of children.

A number of people who spoke to The Journal all outlined allegations of beatings and attacks that took place in their primary and secondary schools. Their allegations date to after 1982 – the year when corporal punishment was banned in Ireland.

In the Department of Education’s Scoping Inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse in schools – which prompted the new inquiry – it noted that participants described that the violence experienced by pupils in some schools “went beyond an acceptable level”, including beyond what might have been considered at the time to be “acceptable corporal punishment”.

The Scoping Inquiry said that some respondents felt that this “excessive disciplinary and day-to-day violence” within schools should be included in a future inquiry.

One man in his 50s told The Journal that it feels as if the Government has forgotten about his and others’ experiences by not including it within the new inquiry.

This man, who has previously secured a conviction against a former Christian Brother in the south-east, outlined how he feels strongly that the allegations of physical abuse suffered by him and others needs to be dealt with by authorities.

“It’s completely out of order what happened to us but there’s no investigation,” he said.

“It seems to me that it’s a secondary thought for the simple reason that the sexual stuff is so much more to the forefront in people’s minds.

“In my case, a teacher looked at me one day and, because I had been speaking out in class, he took my arm and placed it on the desk. He then smashed it on the desk, bending it – can you imagine the pain of that? I don’t know if it fractured my arm, but I had to go home with that. My parents let me leave school after that.”

This man believes there it was “another way of controlling” the youngsters who were meant to be in a school’s care, and that the teachers drew a “sadistic type of gratification” from carrying out the physical assaults.

Another man, who went to school in the early 1990s, recalled how he and his primary school classmates were treated by one teacher.

“We had to kneel on the shaft of a sweeping brush and stay there for up to ten minutes, no matter how painful it was. Other times this teacher would put the child underneath her desk and start kicking you,” the man, now aged in his 40, alleged.

“She would just keep you there for the morning. It was barbaric and degrading.”

Details of the Commission

Retired High Court judge Mr Justice Michael McGrath has been appointed to chair the commission, which has a five-year time limit to complete its work. The chair, as well as additional commissioners, will be in place by 1 October.

The commission will see a survey launched at the outset, which is to allow the chair to identify the scope of the commission.

A survivor engagement programme – to inform the language, content and communication of the survey – will also be established, following a recommendation by a scoping inquiry last year.

When contacted, the Department of Education said it was clear from survivors that they want to see the process for the Commission “done in a timely manner” as it addresses sexual abuse in schools.

This requires the commission to complete its work in five years, using a sampling approach for allegations.

The department was asked whether there were any plans to address allegations of corporal punishment, pre and post-the 1980s ban, in any Commission of Investigation.

A spokesperson for the Department said it takes child protection very seriously and considers that the protection and welfare of children is a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children.

“The details of any concern reported to the Department, including reports which relate to historical abuse, are immediately passed on to the relevant authorities, that is, Tusla-the Child and Family Agency, An Garda Síochána and/or the school authorities as appropriate, in line with the Department’s procedures for staff,” the department said.

“The Department has no statutory role in investigating child protection concerns or allegations of abuse.”