The Government’s report on mother and baby homes makes grim reading. Irish women and children were subjected to neglect and cruelty, all within an institutional framework that was sanctioned and supported by the State.
Much anger is now focused on the Roman Catholic Church, but it is important to recognise that one of the homes, Bethany, was run by Evangelical Protestants.
According to the report, this home had a shockingly high rate of infant mortality. Key factors appear to have been overcrowding, malnutrition, a high rate of disease and infections, inadequate facilities, underqualified staff, and […]