The families of 28 intellectually disabled victims of sexual abuse at a HSE-run disability centre in Donegal will not be told about what happened, according to a new HSE report.
The abuse was inflicted on 42 residents by 11 perpetrators in the Seán O’Hare unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Stranorlar, which has since closed, between 1991 and 2002.
The latest HSE report, known as a “validation report”, was completed in May and is a review of two previous file-reviews by two HSE Serious Management Teams.
It said “incidents impacting 42 individuals were identified”. 20 of these have died, leaving 22 surviving victims who suffered 26 incidents.
The families of the deceased 20 victims will not be told of the abuse, as well as a further eight victims will as the incidents “did not [reach the] threshold as an incident of abuse”, according to the report.
The HSE said that they are confident that not telling families of deceased victims is “morally and ethically correct”.
Deputy Thomas Pringle told the Irish Times the latest report was “mind-boggling” and called for a public inquiry into the incident.
“It just raises more questions,” he said.
“The only way to restore trust in the HSE in Donegal is a public inquiry.
“The HSE has done this report and it’s hard to trust anything the HSE says at this stage. They won’t even tell the families affected.”
