Personal Stories/Opinions
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Due to the fact that The redress Board is not dealing with these convictions I wonder if there is anyone out there who may be able to help
At 23 months I was taken to court in Ireland as a defendant I was charged with being destitute
I was duly charged and sentenced to 14 years in an institution called a school.
This was a judicial conviction in a court of law
Allow me to stress this was a Industrial school not a residential home Part 4'section 46 subsection(1)1908 children's act this is very important.
They were Institutions where children who had committed minor criminal offences Along with children who were deemed to be in need of care were interned.
Rules applicable to prison services were endorsed.
No leeway was accorded to children who had committed no crime
Contrary to all the laws constructed in accordance with the Irish constitution (section 40 -44) realistic loving care or education were not considered an important aspect of the rearing of children within the institutions
I have been told by the Minister For Justice I was too young to commit a crime
The Labour party leader has told me these forms were pre-printed and used for the wrong purpose these forms were used for 50 Plus years
The Minister for Education constantly refers to section 35 of the redress act.
One cannot dismiss out of hand the suffering and pain inflicted by the state on innocent children some fifty years later
I am now in my 71st year and I have written to every T.D, in Ireland and all have referred me to the Minister for Justice and Law Reform. I have now been receiving copies of the same letter for over a year saying that I was too young to commit a crime
If I was too young to commit a crime why the long term of detention for no crime.
I have also been told my mother agreed to the terms. There was no signature of my mother agreeing to these terms and as everything in a court of law has to be accurate where is my mothers signature.
Letters which I should have received while at school were received in May of 2003
In 1990 I found out I had four sisters and one brother.
In 2003 I found out I have been using a wrong name all my life.
Where can I go now to have this conviction expunged?
I have all the documents to prove what I am saying
These are not false memories these are facts
Mary Henderson
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