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	In Ireland, the Abuse of Children -- and Power By Mary C. Curtis Politics Daily May 22, 2009 http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/21/in-ireland-the-abuse-of-children-and-power/ The Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy. The names of the religious orders are cruel irony. On Wednesday, a 2,600-page report from the Irish government's Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse detailed the torture, beatings and rapes, the outrageous actions a nine-year-long study uncovered in more than 250 church-run institutions. The crimes persisted from the 1930's to the 1990's. The thousands of victims were the "least of these," poor children in orphanages, hostels, regular schools and schools for the disabled. An editorial in The Irish Times called the report "the map of an Irish hell." In this instance, a cozy relationship between the state and the Roman Catholic Church, shielded the perpetrators. "The deferential and submissive attitude of the Department of Education towards the Congregations compromised its ability to carry out its statutory duty of inspection and monitoring of the schools," the report says.
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