Sir, - In recent days I have been accused publicly of having had privileged access to the files of religious orders who have allegedly used me to selectively leak their version of the tragic story of our industrial schools. This line of attack was continued in Fintan O'Toole's column of November 26th. Although he did not name me, he spoke of selective details from the files of religious orders being used to discredit those who wish to reveal the truth (about industrial schools).
I find all of this rather pathetic and sad. I was never given privileged access to the files of religious orders, and consequently did not engage in any distortion of the facts about industrial schools. The evidence or facts presented by me could have been ascertained by any trainee journalist with access to a bicycle and a telephone. The only other requirement was an open mind.
To accuse a journalist of being involved in selective information-leaking suggests that he or she is malleable and lacks independence. More importantly, there is a clear innuendo that such a journalist has an agenda in releasing such information. In this instance, the highly damaging insinuation is that I have an interest in covering up the reality of abuse in industrial schools.
While many people subjected to such an accusation would choose the Four Courts as a forum for vindicating their good name, I am content to rest my case on the record of what I have written in the Sunday Business Post. These allegations about me are totally untrue. The people making them should know that.
I believe that the former residents of industrial schools deserve justice. I believe that justice is best served by scrupulous adherence to the truth. In uncovering the flawed research in Suffer the Little Children, my only motivation has been that the truth should be revealed.
It is my accusers who have an agenda, which appears to be to subject to damaging attack anyone who disagrees with their perspective. Of course, a personal attack is an easy option. It requires no research, no fact-checking, no attention to detail. Much less does it involve apology or reparation to those whose reputations are damaged along the way. - Yours, etc., Breda O'Brien,
Mulvey Park, Windy Arbour, Dublin 14.