January 13, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

An Ireland government’s investigative report, piled up to more than 2,800 pages, released on January 12 by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. The investigation spent almost 6 years and inquired into 14 church-run mother and baby homes and 4 county homes in Ireland dated from 1922 to 1998. The Commission found more than 9,000 babies and children died in secret over 8 decades.

There were some 56,000 unwed mothers aged from 12 to 40s were sent to the 18 institutions where about 57,000 infants were born. Those unmarried mothers reportedly were mistreated by a stifling, oppressive, and brutally misogynistic culture at the mother and baby homes for decades. The report found an abnormal mortality rate of 15% for infants in those church-run homes. For one home, Bessborough, in County Cork, there were as high as 75% of babies who died prior to their first birthday in 1943.

Archbishop of Armagh and the Primate of All Ireland, Eamon Martin, released his apology that the Catholic Church was clearly part of that brutally misogynistic culture in which women were often misjudged, rejected, and stigmatized. Meanwhile, Archbishop Martin apologized unreservedly to the victims and survivors.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin and his government would render compensation, install laws to uncover burial remains, and grant survivors' access to personal information.

Photo:Webshot.