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Bethany Home Survivors Group angry with Government statement printable version

08 Oct 2010: posted by the editor - Ireland

In reply to Joe Costello (Lab) and to Paul Kehoe (FG) and Fergus O'Dowd (FG), Deputy Sean Haughey Minister of State, Department of Education and Science, said The Department of Justice and Law Reform has advised that it has not received any allegations of abuse from any female committed to Bethany Home pursuant to the Children Act 1908 and that it would be happy to deal with any such cases on an individual basis.

Bethany Home Survivors' Group Chairperson, Derek Leinster said in reaction to Haughey's statement: "On the basis of these insulting and patronizing remarks, the government can rest easy.

"First, the 219 dead children who rest in unmarked graves in Mount Jerome cemetery will not be making allegations of abuse. They died un-mourned and forgotten, and that is how the Irish government wants to keep it.

"Second, the government invites claims of abuse from people from whom, currently, there are no claims of abuse. This is a patronising insult to categories of Bethany residents from whom there are claims of abuse, who the government wants to ignore - until we die, when we can be as forgotten as the Mount Jerome children.

However, if the government gives us the names of Protestant females detained in Bethany Home, we will ask if they wish to make allegations.

"Third, the minister is refusing to hear claims of abuse from people like me and other child residents. We charge that the Department of Health and Local Government up to 1945 and the (new) Department of Health after 1945 is responsible for deaths and severe illness in Bethany home from 1935-48 in particular, after it came under an inspection regime in 1934 and after it became eligible for public assistance in 1939.

"In 1939 the state's Deputy Chief Medical Adviser, William S Berry, justified the deaths of 86 Bethany children from 1935-39. He said it was "well recognised that illegitimate children were delicate". These deaths were sanctified by the Irish state and justified as the euthanasia of 'illegitimate' children.

"At the same time Berry said the only "objectionable”thing about Bethany was that it tried to convert Roman Catholics into Protestants. He attended a Bethany Management Committee meeting on 27 October 1939 where he forced the Bethany Home to agree to no longer admit Roman Catholics. Berry threatened Bethany with refusal of funding under the 1939 Public Assistance Act if they did not do this. The Home was refused assistance until 1948. Children died in large numbers until 1948. After funding was achieved, only 5 children died from 1949-63.

"The state is therefore responsible for death and severe illness that occurred in the Bethany Home prior to 1949. The government is hiding behind the fact that its predecessors encouraged religious denominations to take on welfare and detention responsibilities that were those of the state. Then the state tolerated deplorable conditions in these institutions it should have been regulating. Now it wants to wash its hands because, as far as the minister is concerned, we are still illegitimate.”

The state also sent women convicted of crimes from theft to infanticide to the Bethany Home from 1924 to 1965 - and registered it as an official place of detention on 17 April 1945 Ends
BETHANY SURVIVORS GROUP A campaign to Place Bethany Home on the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Erect a memorial to Bethany children who died and are buried in unmarked braves (220 named children discovered to date, 7 October 2010) Donations for a memorial to dead children can be made in any bank to BETHANY SURVIVORS:
The Bank of Ireland
Sortcode 906734, a/c no. 63175318 Please keep bank receipt as a record of your donation - if you can please make contact afterward at the email, web or postal address below.

Derek Linster - www.derekleinster.com Chairperson, Derek Leinster said in reaction to Haughey's statement: "On the basis of these insulting and patronizing remarks, the government can rest easy.

"First, the 219 dead children who rest in unmarked graves in Mount Jerome cemetery will not be making allegations of abuse. They died un-mourned and forgotten, and that is how the Irish government wants to keep it.

"Second, the government invites claims of abuse from people from whom, currently, there are no claims of abuse. This is a patronising insult to categories of Bethany residents from whom there are claims of abuse, who the government wants to ignore - until we die, when we can be as forgotten as the Mount Jerome children.

However, if the government gives us the names of Protestant females detained in Bethany Home, we will ask if they wish to make allegations.

"Third, the minister is refusing to hear claims of abuse from people like me and other child residents. We charge that the Department of Health and Local Government up to 1945 and the (new) Department of Health after 1945 is responsible for deaths and severe illness in Bethany home from 1935-48 in particular, after it came under an inspection regime in 1934 and after it became eligible for public assistance in 1939.

"In 1939 the state's Deputy Chief Medical Adviser, William S Berry, justified the deaths of 86 Bethany children from 1935-39. He said it was "well recognised that illegitimate children were delicate". These deaths were sanctified by the Irish state and justified as the euthanasia of 'illegitimate' children.

"At the same time Berry said the only "objectionable”thing about Bethany was that it tried to convert Roman Catholics into Protestants. He attended a Bethany Management Committee meeting on 27 October 1939 where he forced the Bethany Home to agree to no longer admit Roman Catholics. Berry threatened Bethany with refusal of funding under the 1939 Public Assistance Act if they did not do this. The Home was refused assistance until 1948. Children died in large numbers until 1948. After funding was achieved, only 5 children died from 1949-63.

"The state is therefore responsible for death and severe illness that occurred in the Bethany Home prior to 1949. The government is hiding behind the fact that its predecessors encouraged religious denominations to take on welfare and detention responsibilities that were those of the state. Then the state tolerated deplorable conditions in these institutions it should have been regulating. Now it wants to wash its hands because, as far as the minister is concerned, we are still illegitimate.”

The state also sent women convicted of crimes from theft to infanticide to the Bethany Home from 1924 to 1965 - and registered it as an official place of detention on 17 April 1945.

BETHANY SURVIVORS GROUP
A campaign to Place Bethany Home on the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Erect a memorial to Bethany children who died and are buried in unmarked braves (220 named children discovered to date, 7 October 2010) Donations for a memorial to dead children can be made in any bank to BETHANY SURVIVORS:
The Bank Ireland
Sortcode 906734, a/c no. 63175318 Please keep bank receipt as a record of your donation - if you can please make contact afterward at the web address below.

www.derekleinster.com

Tags: Bethany Homes

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