Court rules man may seek redress for institutional abuse

A man who says he was physically abused and lived “in constant fear” after he was sent to an industrial school as a child, is entitled to claim redress, the High Court has ruled.

The man and a sibling were sent to St Vincent’s Industrial School, Goldenbridge, for a year due to family disruption when their father attacked a man who was having an affair with their mother. He only became aware of those details many years later after his mother died, Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley noted.

Now in his 50s, he left school early and drank heavily for many years, she noted. He had not worked since 2006. His marriage and a second significant relationship both broke up due to his drinking and behaviour.

When he applied for redress in December 2011, he explained his delay on grounds including he was unaware he was entitled to seek redress and was having difficulty with depression and dealing with various matters in his life.

The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established in 2002 with applications to be made by December 15th, 2005, but the board ruled there were no exceptional circumstances to allow it to accept his application.

Overturning that refusal yesterday, Ms Justice O’Malley said a psychiatrist had found him a “credible” informant who seemed “wracked by shame and guilt regarding his early past and the more shameful aspects of his adult life, relating to his behaviour and drinking”.