Ombudsman says ‘ship has sailed’ for accountability on Grace case
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
The “ship has sailed” for accountability in the ‘Grace case’, the Ombudsman for Children has said following the final report of the Farrelly Commission.
The Commission was set up in 2017 to examine the case of a woman, given the pseudonym Grace, who has been in the care of the State all her life.
It came after allegations of sexual abuse were raised against her foster father relating to another person who had lived with the family, and the length of time it took to remove Grace from the home thereafter.
The Commission ultimately found Grace had been neglected and that there was a lack of oversight for her care.
However, it said it was not satisfied the evidence established she had been subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
Children’s Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon said Grace had “suffered at the hands of the State” as he “expressed sadness and disappointment” for her family.
Asked if there would ever be accountability in the Grace case, Dr Muldoon said: “I think that ship has sailed. I don’t think that’s going to happen.
“I think we’re we are here now, which means that this is the end of the reporting side of things.
“But the lessons that can be learned from this, I would be quite happy if – this will be money well spent – if this is the last time we ever have to put a review together to look at how a child has been harmed in the care of the State.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Drivetime, he added: “I think it’s clear that we as a State have let Grace down in numerous different ways, and we need to find answers to that for the future, so that this isn’t happening again, we don’t have a Grace situation now or into the future and I can’t be sure that that’s the case.”
Referencing a 2018 interview involving Grace’s birth mother, Dr Muldoon said: “What she wanted from the Commission was to understand where the problems were and why her child suffered so much at the hands of the State – and there’s nothing there for them, as far as I can see.”
Dr Muldoon said the report offers no clarity as to who decided to leave Grace with her foster family despite allegations of sexual abuse within the home, adding that it was “not satisfactory”.
He also said it was “horrific” and that there was “no excuse” that no social worker visited Grace for a period of six years.
The Ombudsman said it was “chilling” and “horrible” that a whistleblower involved in the case, Iain Smith, had warned that the State will try to “crush” other whistleblowers.
Dr Muldoon said: “What he’s saying there is that the system is built around protecting the system, and that’s not the way it should be.
“Particularly for child protection and child care, children should be at the centre of these things. And if something goes wrong, which it always will, mistakes are normal, then it’s part and parcel of everybody’s life. But the reality of those mistakes should be highlighted very, very quickly, should be transparent, and they should be fixed quickly.”
Meanwhile, the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection said the Farrelly Commission report “does not answer core questions” about what happened to Grace.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC said the report was “impenetrable” and “difficult to follow”.
Speaking to RTÉ’s News At One, she added: “From the time I’ve had with it, it seems to me that it doesn’t answer core questions about what happened to Grace and why, and accountability for what happened to Grace and why.
“And most importantly, it doesn’t address ongoing issues about risks to children.”
Asked if the report explained why no qualified social worker visited Grace for a six-year period, Ms Gallagher added: “In short, no, and this was one of the most horrifying parts of the report, really.”
She added: “This is an utterly horrifying case, shocking in so many ways, and I am appalled by what I’ve read, and I’m appalled by what I’ve not read with the answers to questions that are simply not in the report, despite people waiting for almost a decade.”