IRELAND
RTE News
The committee investigating State involvement with the Magdalene Laundries has found that 26.5% of known admissions of women and girls were facilitated by the State.
They were sent there by court order, gardaí, social services or under supervision after leaving industrial or reformatory schools.
An estimated 11,500 women passed through ten institutions between 1922 and 1996.
The report of the Inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalene Laundries was published today.
The committee, chaired by Dr Martin McAleese, found the environment in the laundries was harsh and involved physically demanding work, which produced a traumatic and lasting impact on the girls.
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