A new report claims that at least 11 newly uncovered instances of sexual abuse at the Ard Greine Court Complex in Stranorlar have been referred to An Garda Síochana for investigation.
The report from the Independent claims that the abuse cases, which are believed to have occurred between 1991 and 2002, are to be referred to Gardaí after the HSE internally published a second “validation” report into abuse at the facility at St Joseph’s Hospital.
You can read the Independent’s report in full here: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/hse-reporting-11-sex-abuse-cases-in-donegal-to-gardai-41744091.html
This follows last year’s publication of the Brandon Report, that detailed 108 instances of sexual abuse committed by a resident given the pseudonym Brandon.
The Independent’s report claims that the HSE’s validation report uncovered a total of 42 residents at the centre who were victims of sustained sexual abuse, allegedly committed by 10 other residents at the facility, spanning the period between 1991 and 2002.
However according to the Independent, that figure of 42 does not include alleged “incidents” reported involving another 20 people who have since passed away, bringing the total potentially impacted to over 60.
In a statement to Highland Radio News, the HSE said the following:
“The HSE is prioritising engagement with any individuals affected and will ensure they are informed first, so we are not in a position to make any further statement on the report. We cannot comment on individual cases or on current or potential legal proceedings.”
“We are continuing to implement the recommendations of the National Independent Review Panel (NIRP) Report, and this has resulted in considerable service improvements. We received the final Validation Report recently and are in the process of implementing its recommendations.”
