Inquiry under way a decade after brave child spoke out
1987
Aged 12, Saoirse and her siblings are placed in a Midlands foster home. She is physically and emotionally abused by the foster parents and sexually abused by two third parties.
1995
Saoirse’s sister reports physical abuse by the foster mother and all foster kids are removed by the Health Board.
1999
Saoirse is admitted to hospital after the first of several suicide attempts. Her medical and social work files record her past experience of child abuse. This is not investigated or reported to gardaí. Saoirse’s younger sister reports sexual abuse by the foster mother’s biological son. He later confirms the abuse to gardaí. No prosecution ensues. A social work case conference recommends all children placed in care at the home be interviewed. This does not happen.
NOVEMBER 2004
Saoirse complains to the area childcare manager of the Health Board.
MAY 2007
Two-and-a-half years later, social workers and managers hold a planning meeting about the complaint and agree to inform their insurers and seek legal advice.
2008
Four years after her complaint, the area childcare manager completes an investigation. It recommends past allegations of abuse are re-examined and any criminal offences passed to gardaí. This does not happen.
JANUARY 2009
Saoirse makes a formal complaint of abuse by her father, her foster parents and two third parties to gardaí. In the coming months and years Saoirse is led to believe a criminal investigation is ongoing. Instead, it had been shelved and no action was being taken.
FEBRUARY 2009
Social workers interview Saoirse on tape. She provides further details of abuse she and others suffered at her foster home – and at five other foster homes. Nothing comes of the revelations.
OCTOBER 2009
The HSE settles a High Court case by
Saoirse and her sister against their foster parents. Still no-one reports the abuse to gardaí.
2012
Saoirse is finally told by gardaí that the investigating officers have moved on, there is no investigation and no record at all that she even made a complaint in 2009. She complains to GSOC.
JUNE 2016
GSOC rules there had been a ‘systems failure’ relating to the way statements were stored by gardaí that resulted in Saoirse’s case being lost.
MARCH 2017
Saoirse’s former foster mother is given a prominent award for her ongoing services to children in her community.
OCTOBER 10, 2018
Saoirse makes a fresh statement to gardaí so they can recommence the investigation that never happened a decade earlier.
JUNE 24, 2019
In response to letters from Saoirse, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan’s private secretary writes to say Garda systems have now been amended to prevent a repeat of the systems error in Saoirse’s case.
JULY 27 2019
Saoirse is informed the social work tapes have been located - in the attic of the now-retired social worker who’d made them a decade earlier. Tusla reports the data breach to its own Data Protection Officer. Saoirse complains to the Data Protection Commissioner.
DECEMBER 2019
Saoirse is told the DPP has decided not to prosecute.
JANUARY 19, 2020
We publish Saoirse’s story.
APRIL 2020
Tusla internal review confirms Saoirse’s allegations were not followed up appropriately.