The Ryan Report and the charity myth

This chapter provides an analysis of the Ryan Report, which became and international story. The publication of the Ryan Report during 2009 was a seminal event in the process of disclosure and truth-telling. Its revelations are thorough and deeply shocking, identifying over 200 institutions. Most of the alleged abusers were members of the clergy. These are stark facts that underpin the powerful testimony of the survivors of these abuse regimes that went on during most of the 20th century. The Ryan Report reveals that over a 35-year period child abuse was endemic in the industrial and reformatory school system in Ireland. Its revelations have been reported around the world, exposing the failure of Ireland’s human rights record in relation to children to critical international scrutiny.