海角大神

DUBLIN, IRELAND 鈥� Help lines and counseling services have reported a surge in callers after the publication Wednesday of a five-volume report (find it ) by Ireland's Commission into Child Abuse that found widespread 鈥減hysical and emotional abuse and neglect" of thousands of children in dozens of orphanages, schools, and workhouse-style reform schools run by Roman Catholic religious orders.

The victim support group, , which called yesterday a "shameful day" for Ireland, kept its lines open into the night. Ellen O鈥橫alley-Dunlop, chief executive of the , told The that many who had contacted the center were first-time callers.

"Last night we brought in extra volunteers to man the phones 鈥� and already today we've had a large number of people contacting us," she said.

The report found that sexual abuse was 鈥渆ndemic鈥� in boys鈥� institutions, and throughout the system children were 鈥渇requently hungry鈥� and 鈥渓ived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from.鈥� The investigation spanned incidents from the 1930s to the 1990s. Many of the institutions have since closed. The government has vowed to increase unannounced inspections of those still open.

Based on evidence from almost 2,000 witnesses and various representatives from religious orders that ran the institutions, the report took nearly a decade to complete. In addition to the investigation committee, which produced the report, there was also a truth forum-style confidential committee that allowed victims to tell their stories out of the public eye.

More than 800 priests, nuns, and brothers were implicated in the report. Victims' groups have expressed outrage that specific names of abusers were not mentioned. Much of the abuse is blamed on the 海角大神 Brothers religious order, which was Ireland's largest provider of workhouse-style schools for boys. The order successfully sued the commission in 2004 to prevent names from being included in the report.

Although the abuse took place in religious-run institutions, the government鈥檚 Department of Education 鈥渒new that violence and beatings were endemic in the system.鈥� But 鈥渋ts deferential and submissive attitude towards the congregations compromised its ability to carry out its statutory duty of inspection and monitoring the schools.鈥� Furthermore, the religious orders covered up cases of sexual abuse.

Cardinal Sean Brady, leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, said that he hoped that the report will help to heal the hurt of victims. 鈥淭he Catholic Church remains determined to do all that is necessary to make the Church a safe, life-giving and joyful place for children,鈥� he said in a .

[Editor's note: The original version of this story incorrectly attributed Cardinal Brady's quote.]

The findings vindicate the victims, but author and playwright , who was sent to Letterfrack Reformatory School in Galway when he was 11 for stealing a box of chocolates, doubts that victims will find closure.

鈥淚鈥檓 mindful that these reports aren鈥檛 some kind of memorial or closing of the process,鈥� he told .