Human Rights Commission Calls for Government Action on Magdalene Laundries

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has this week called upon the Irish Government to establish a Statutory Inquiry into the alleged mistreatment of women and girls in the Magdalene Laundries. The IHRC has also asked that the survivors be compensated.
Human Rights Commission Calls for Government Action on Magdalene Laundries
11/15/2010
Updated:
11/15/2010

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has this week called upon the Irish Government to establish a Statutory Inquiry into the alleged mistreatment of women and girls in the Magdalene Laundries. The IHRC has also asked that the survivors be compensated.

In June this year, the Justice for Magdalenes group (JFM) requested the IHRC to conduct an enquiry on their behalf into the treatment of survivors of the Magdalene Laundries. The evaluation published on Tuesday is a summary of the IHRC’s examination of the human rights issues arising, and concludes that the Government should establish an inquiry with immediate effect.

Speaking at the launch of the report findings, IHRC Commissioner Olive Braiden said, “We are dealing with a small and vulnerable group of women who, the Government admitted as far back as 2001, were victims of abuse, but who have received no proper recognition for the hurt they experienced and continue to experience.”

According to the report findings, the women in question were omitted from the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme because the State believed that they were not responsible for them. However, the report found that the State and Irish society bear the responsibility for their treatment, explained Ms Braiden.

“It is important that these women in their advancing years are not forgotten. Today the IHRC is publicly calling on the Government to establish the extent of State involvement in the manner in which they were treated and to provide redress as appropriate,” said Ms Braiden.

“I am especially concerned by the lack of publicly available records about the operation of the Magdalene Laundries: this must be remedied immediately through a statutory inquiry.”

Dr Maurice Manning, President of the IHRC said, “The State cannot abdicate from its responsibilities in relation to the treatment of women and girls in the Magdalene Laundries.”

Dr Manning added that the Commission is “putting that opinion on record today - that there are significant concerns about whether the human rights of women and girls in Magdalene Laundries were fully respected by the State.”

Dr Manning said that the Commission is carrying out its duties by providing assessment of the human rights issues raised, and as a result of this process they are now calling on the Government to address those concerns.

Dr Manning also noted that Justice for Magdalenes is seeking an apology and redress from the State. This request, however, was not in the remit of the IHRC and therefore, the IHRC is now requesting the State to continue the process.

Dr Manning said that Justice for Magdalenes provided “substantial documentation” to support their request which the IHRC reviewed, and he paid tribute to “the diligence of that organisation in locating so many relevant historical records and in responding so quickly to our many queries and requests for further information.”

Dr Manning concluded by saying that questions still remained unanswered, and these questions could only be addressed by the religious orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries.

IHRC Senior Enquiry & Legal Officer Sinéad Lucey noted for the record that there is a “severe lack of publicly available records in relation to the operation of the Magdalene Laundries. We presume that the Religious Orders who ran the laundries have those records.”

Amnesty International says State responsible for conditions

Colm O’ Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said, “The State was involved in the detention of some of these women. The State therefore has a responsibility for the conditions in which they were held.”

“There is a compelling need for a statutory investigation into the issues raised by the Irish Human Rights Commission,” said Mr O'Gorman. Amnesty International Ireland is backing calls for an investigation and urged the Government to “respond positively.”

“It must act now to vindicate the human rights of those women and girls placed in Magdalene and other such institutions,” said Mr O'Gorman.

Government response

In a statement released by the Government on Tuesday, emphasis was drawn to the IHRC’s decision not to conduct an enquiry, which the Government said it was entitled to do under the “legislation which established it.”

“The Government regrets that relevant Departments were not offered an opportunity by the IHRC to contribute to the Commission’s considerations of this matter to facilitate a fully balanced evaluation of all the facts.”

The Government has asked the Attorney General, in consultation with relevant Departments, to consider the IHRC’s report.