Comments on: Whose Silence Fed the Violence?

By: ANONYMOUS

ANONYMOUS — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:04:04 +0000

Im originally from the town and people did know that the kids were not being properly looked after but we never imagined the extent of the abuse. I know that it was reported to the health board on more than one occasions and you are right to say that you cant just knock on up to the door and try take kids off their mother. People did what they were permitted to do. We put our trust in the hands of the government officials and they failed to do their jobs.

The suggestions that we are somehow to blame for this has brought shame on the community and my mother who still lives there was very distraught by the comments. In fairness to Gerry Ryan it wasnt only he who made these statements as a presenter on the local station did the same.

Thanks so much for drawing attention to this. Hopefully most people will have the same attitude towards this.

By: Thomas Geraghty

Thomas Geraghty — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:19:01 +0000

I’ve gotten a fair few knocks from breaking up fights between people I don’t know and gotten in plenty of uncomfortable situations due to helping people in trouble. Not all the time of coarse, I’m not fecking Mother Teresa.
If I know about that sort of thing going on in my neighbourhood, I’d inform the authorities and if it wasn’t sorted quickly I’d be sure to let people know what incompetent bastards whoever I informed was.
I should like to think that most people would do the same, if I don’t hope then I think I shall just go and live with the lions.

By: B'

B' — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:43:34 +0000

I only see English news… 24 hours of it, but only english news.

People don’t think of discussing current affairs with me either

By: Lottie

Lottie — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:17 +0000

@B – How have you avoided it until now?

@Whoopsadiasy – I agree. The state aren’t mind readers. They need to be made aware of these situations and a concerned voice from the community is the only way. But how far can you go? Laying too much blame on a community that made serious and concerned efforts to get help for the children is very unfair.

@Jo -You’re right. It’s the bureaucracy that is a huge culprit.

@Jonathan – But what can you do? If you approach these people you risk a bottle to the face. You can call the Gardaí but what will happen. Hi Garda there’s a bloke on the train, he’s drunk and I don’t like the way he is talking to his children. Fair enough. you can’t go round restraining people until the authorities decide to take notice.

@Voodoolady – Im sorry to hear that but that’s it exactly. It’s akin to baning your head off a brick wall – there is only so far an individual person can go to protect these kids. They can’t exactly break into the house and pull the children away from their family.

By: Voodoolady

Voodoolady — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:56:33 +0000

The state are completely at fault here.

I have personal experience of an unhealthy living situation that has been reported to the HSE, the guards etc on numerous occasions. The situation has been reviewed numerous times and although the general conclusion is that the situation is hazardous to the family involved and their neighbours, nothing can be done because ‘it isn’t bad enough’.

It’s no where near as bad as this case but it’s still a fucking disgrace.

By: Jonathan Day

Jonathan Day — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:53:49 +0000

I find myself guilty of simply ignoring situations like the one you experienced on the train. Maybe we all ignore things like this before it’s too late, we’re guilty if we ignore and even more so if things end as they did in Roscommon. It’s a bit of a mind melt, maybe it’s just built in our Irish DNA to turn a blind eye. Maybe we need to be more brazen and brave, standing up for those who can’t?

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:35:00 +0000

Oops, editing not working. I think the HSE did try but got tied up by the legal system, as funded by the right wing organisation who helped her keep her kids in her house of horror.

All anti abortion stuff. The irony.

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By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:08:32 +0000

It’s worse than that, Lottie. Did you read Twenty’s post? Sinister Catholic organisation backing her and paying her legal fees. HSE visits all the time but nothing done.

I think it’s time to phone the gardai when you see shit like that on the train. Why not? It’s abuse,assault, neglect, public disorder. At least it would build a file for a future complaint.

By: whoopsadaisy

whoopsadaisy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:04:02 +0000

I have to hold up my hand and say that I am one of those people who always thinks, Where were their families? Their neighbours? Extended family?

I’d like to think that there is someone other than the guilty mother to blame.

That people turned blind eyes and that these children might somehow have been saved.

I’d like to think that if, God forbid, it were one of my sisters or friends doing this to their children that I would do all in my power to take the children away from her, even resorting to physically removing them from her, kidnap.

That’s what I’d like to think.

The fact that normal, everyday people had to witness this situation day in and day out, powerless to do anything about it when the regular routes of Social Workers and Gardaí just weren’t getting them anywhere…it just doesn’t bear thinking about. It’s easier to point the finger of blame and say they didn’t do all that they could have.