Home / Crime and Justice / Ireland vows inquiry into decades-old abuse.
Ireland vows inquiry into decades-old abuse.
14 May
Summary
- Hundreds allegedly abused by a surgeon at a Drogheda hospital.
- Allegations span back to the 1970s, dating from the 1960s.
- Government commits to a public inquiry into the misconduct.
The Irish health minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, stated that the number of individuals allegedly victimized by surgeon Michael Shine could be in the high hundreds. Shine worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda from 1964 until his retirement in 1995. By then, multiple allegations of sexual abuse, originating as far back as the 1970s, had already surfaced.
These affected individuals have shown great courage in their pursuit of justice for the profound harm they endured. The government is committed to launching a public inquiry. Minister Carroll MacNeill indicated that recommendations from Mr. Staines regarding the inquiry's content, form, and structure will be considered to ensure it meets all identified needs.
Ms. Byrne emphasized the necessity of a public inquiry for the full truth to emerge. She stated the need to understand the precise details of Michael Shine's crimes and, crucially, to identify who knew about the abuse and when. The goal is to understand how this continued for so long, destroying numerous young lives.
