Abuse in privately-owned home for mentally disabled

Seanchai

In yesterday's Irish Times, Fintan O'Toole highlighted a Panorama investigation into an old folks home. This time it's not the religious running it and it's over in Britain, but the owners of the home are prominent Irish businessmen including Denis Brosnan, JP McManus, Dermot Desmond and John Magnier.

"The patients were nice little earners, bringing in an average of £3,500 a week each.". What an immoral amount of money for a company to be paid each week for a single person.

Here's a spine-chilling excerpt:

'Last week, an official report into Winterbourne was published, after 11 former members of its staff pleaded guilty to abusing patients. It describes the “elation of those exercising merciless power” over extremely vulnerable people with mental disabilities, including severe autism: sadistic teasing, taunting patients with names like “gimp”, kicking, poking of eyes, slapping on naked buttocks, dousing with cold water, pouring mouthwash over a patient’s head and into her eyes, forcing wet wipes into a patient’s mouth, head-butting a patient with such force as to break his nose, and instilling constant fear of “harm and degradation”.

Blind search for profits behind care home abuse

O'Toole has a very good point about the comparisons between this and what happened in Ireland, specifically that if the RCC is responsible for that abuse, Brosnan, McManus et al should be held accountable for the abuse in the homes they own where people have been exploited and mistreated in the course of enriching the owners.

Seanchai

And from Carl O'Brien in this morning's Irish Times:

10,000 with disabilities living in care facilities with no inspections

It's incredible that after all the abuse scandals that have been revealed this state has no inspection system for some of the weakest people in state care.

Ed: Link fixed.

randylonghorn

For once, Seanchai, I find myself agreeing with you and indeed with O'Toole.

And the last line in particular rings especially true after what we have seen in Ireland in the last few years:

"One story is big news because it confirmed the evil of the old religion. The other is a mere embarrassment because it points to the evil of the new one."



(Btw, that second link goes to the O'Toole story again)

WumBuster

Fintan O Toole. Is he still relevant? Then again was he ever. But Im sure he has a good story of injustice and poverty to make us all stop and think. Good luck to him.

randylonghorn

WumBuster wrote: »

Fintan O Toole. Is he still relevant? Then again was he ever. But Im sure he has a good story of injustice and poverty to make us all stop and think. Good luck to him.

Did you actually read it? Or just take the easy option and opt for the dismissive one-liner?

Chuck Stone

The dregs of humanity humiliating the most vulnerable.

The only way to go is to install visible (to staff, everyone) web cams everywhere where people are vulnerable imo.

The streams should be accessible to family members.

WumBuster

randylonghorn wrote: »

Did you actually read it? Or just take the easy option and opt for the dismissive one-liner?

Ok I went for the easy option. Im sure the story is very valid and heart rending. God forbid O Toole would ever report anything postitive or praising of humanity. Carry on. Enjoy.

randylonghorn

I'm not a fervent fan of O'Toole either, but it's exactly because people closed their ears to reality and pretended everything was lovely in the garden that the Magdalene Laundries and other such institutions survived in Ireland as long as they did.

But sure heh, now that it's big business / private enterprise presiding over the same thing, that makes it all right, eh?