Nuns offer 128M euros to compensate for abuse

A major Irish order of Roman Catholic nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, offered Thursday to pay child abuse victims, the government and charities a further 128 million euros, which is $193.5 million, to compensate for decades of abuse in its schools and orphanages.

The compensation offer to the Irish Department of Education is by far the largest from 18 orders of Catholic priests, brothers and nuns found guilty of chronic child abuse. They ran scores of residential schools, workhouses and orphanages for generations of Ireland’s most-deprived children from the mid-19th century to the 1990s.

The Sisters of Mercy said in a statement it “wholeheartedly regrets the suffering experienced by the children in their care” and hoped this latest offer would show that its nuns were being “faithful to the values of reparation, reconciliation, healing and responsibility.”

A nine-year state investigation in May ruled that all the orders permitted and covered up endemic rape, molestation, beatings and mental cruelty in their children’s institutions. The government responded by demanding that the orders pay much more to help cover compensation payments to more than 14,000 abuse claimants worldwide
topping 1 billion euros, which is $1.5 billion.

The government confirmed receipt of the Sisters of Mercy offer but declined further comment.

Several other Catholic orders have already made smaller offers to the government and victims’ support groups following the May report.

The Sisters of Mercy said its new offer would involve 20 million euros for a new fund for supporting abuse victims and their families, and donations of properties valued at 108 million euros.