Sir, - Our national television station, RTE with the help of various other institutions around the country really got together and excelled on Prime Time (April 23rd). If ever there was a fight back by an old disgraced established institution, then this was one of the most blatant - with all guns firing to defend the indefensible - terrorising and beating up little children by religious people entrusted into their care - and getting paid for it.
As a sociology student in St Patrick's College Maynooth, I was horrified and appalled that any sociologist could condone or contribute to the defence of downright terror, regardless as to when or where it happened. To say that to terrorise children 40 or 50 years ago was an acceptable norm then, is almost tantamount to saying that what Hitler did to the Jews then was OK, because that too was acceptable at the time!
No, No, No. At no time in history is it right to inflict such terror on anybody, especially children. The Sisters knew they could get away with it and the only reason why they got away with such terror was not that it was the accepted norm but because of the rest of society's apathy and the secrecy surrounding such institutions like Goldenbridge.
For those who had been traumatised at that time in Goldenbridge, listening on Prime Time to the retired civil servant defending this Sister, was bound to have an awful psychological effect on them. It would appear he was part of the cosy secretive system. It is bad enough to gave gone through the ordeal, but to hear those members of the establishment at the time defending the system, must surely set back any psychological healing process that has taken, place. They are now almost being asked to accept what happened as being normal, and it is they, who were after all at the receiving end of the terror, are wrong and in some cases, the programme tried to establish that they were lying, using sister against sister.
Whilst I condemn Sr Xaveria for what she did all those years, it is my opinion that she should be left alone in peace in the twilight years of her life. She has begrudgingly apologised for some of her disgraceful conduct, be it not all. However, I believe, indirectly, she was part of an overall conspiracy at the time, both by the church and the State, to officially hide the unpalatable, the illegitimates and others the State wanted to brush under the carpet, just like the unfortunates seeking abortion in England today.
Sr Xaveria must think we are either monkeys or that we all came down in the last shower. Having made as many rosary beads as these children made over the years, and these were the old thick beads one could purchase at the many missions held in those days, I would suggest that the money obtained from their labour purchased much more than the odd pet monkey or radio?
For me, RTE, via Prime Time did a bad day's work. We had already heard what the Sister had been accused of. Would it not have been sufficient to have given the Sister her chance to defend herself without prefacing the Sister's interview. It was another case of divide and conquer the opposition first. However, I must admit, it was a well staged and executed programme, even though it stunk to high heaven. Yours, etc.,
(Ex orphan, Sacred Heart Convent, Cork, and proud to have got through the system),
Old Greenfields,
Maynooth, Co Kildare.