Who is 'Grace' and what is the 'Farrelly Commission'?
James Cox
The final report of the Farrelly Commission, a long investigation into the circumstances surrounding serious allegations of abuse against a severely disabled young woman, known as “Grace”, was published on Tuesday.
Who is 'Grace'?
‘Grace’ was born on November 24th, 1978. She was born to a teenage mother in a Cork mother and baby home.
During her birth, Grace suffered significant trauma to her brain leaving her with a profound, lifelong intellectual and physical disability, and non-verbal.
What happened to Grace?
She was placed in the care of a foster family by the State when she was 11. Grace was one of 47 children placed with the family, and there were allegations of abuse on a number of occasions.
How did the case come to light?
In 2017, a commission of investigation was set up to examine her case after allegations of sexual abuse were levelled against her foster father.
The Farrelly Commission report, published on Tuesday, made no findings that she had experienced sexual or emotional abuse while in the care of the foster family from 1989 until 2009.
It did find that Grace was subjected to neglect through insufficient dental care and financial mismanagement.
In relation to seven other people in the care of the same foster family, the Commission said they should “potentially be investigated further”, while 40 others who had not made allegations should not.
How has the report been received?
Politicians have expressed shock at the findings of the “utterly anaemic” 2,000-page report, which is expected to cost a total of €20 million and took years to complete.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, Ireland’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, said she was “horrified” by what the report contained, calling it “quite impenetrable”.
She said that key questions she had around Grace’s care and disability services in the south east were “not adequately” addressed by the report.
She added: “It seems to me that this report does not give answers to many questions, does not provide accountability, and fundamentally, does not deal with the million dollar question of whether children and vulnerable adults will be safer going forward.”
Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, who has raised the Grace case in the Dáil, said he was “stunned” and “baffled” by the content of the report.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she was “deeply shocked and disappointed” that the report is so lengthy and has “no answers in it”.
“I feel that Grace and the others are being let down all over again. To me, the passage of time, the delay, the prevarication, the failure to act when clearly there was evidence of abuse, that abuse had been reported, and yet Grace was left in a very, very dangerous and abusive situation.
“The hurt, the damage and the trauma of all of that, I think, is doubled today.
“We had hoped that after eight years, that this report would bring some answers, some clarity, but above all else, accountability. Somebody somewhere has to be answerable for this.
“I think it’s very disappointing, and as I say, shocking, that we now see this report which seems to have nothing to say about accountability.”
Ms McDonald said she did not find the report credible and added: “I’m really shocked to hear that the report is so utterly anaemic, has no conclusions that tally in any way credibly with the information and complaints that was brought forward decades ago.”
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, former children’s minister, said that “much better care infrastructure” for vulnerable children and adults had been put in place.
“I do think the steps that were announced today in terms of an analysis and examination of all our safeguarding laws are really important for both children and vulnerable adults.” - Additional reporting from Press Association