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THE appalling report into the abuses in Ferns adds yet another sad dimension to the pitiful debate on child abuse as a whole in Ireland.
The nation would be forgiven if it believed these activities were confined to just the Catholic Church.
But I and others can testify to the fact that some Church of Ireland-sponsored institutions engaged in the same ritual abuses.
However, there is never any mention of this in the media.
The leaders of the Church of Ireland in Dublin are well aware of the allegations, and have steadfastly maintained a silence on the subject.
In July of this year, one of these former Protestant institutions in which I was abused was added to the list that can be looked at by the Residential Institutions Redress Board.
If the Government and Irish people want closure on this sordid scandal, they must be prepared to look at all institutions equally.
Perverts are not confined to any particular denomination and all must be rooted out and punished without fear or favour.
Now that Mary Harney has told the Dáil that inquiries similar to the one in Ferns will be carried out across Ireland, can we assume that the Church of Ireland will be in included in that? I hope so, not just in the interests of those who have suffered but, more importantly, to protect those who may be still suffering or could suffer in the future in non-Catholic institutions.
Kevin F Devlin