A religious order has admitted failing to investigate more than 100 allegations of abuse made in the 1990s about an orphanage in Scotland. Sister Ellen Flynn, head of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in the UK, told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry the congregation had “failed to engage” with the complaints when they first emerged in 1998, following legal advice.
Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanarkshire operated between 1864 and 1981. In recent months dozens of former residents have alleged they were physically or sexually abused there. Giving evidence to the inquiry in Edinburgh, Sister Ellen Flynn broke down as she expressed regret for the abuse suffered by children at the orphanage, saying she had been “torn apart” by the evidence heard, which she described as “horrifying” and "totally against" everything the order stood for.
Sister Flynn said: "For those who are in distress, for those whom we have hurt in any way, our deepest and most sincere apologies.” She said that her heart was with the survivors, as she vowed the order would engage with them and the probe to "put right what wrongs are found".
She and another nun, Sister Eileen Glancy – who also gave evidence – told the hearing that they wished to amend a previous apology because they now realised that there was "more than a possibility that some abuse had occurred" at Smyllum.
Asked about those who said they continued to have emotional difficulties as a consequence of their time in the care of the religious order, Sister Ellen said: "The core of our being is to be there for vulnerable people in distress. I think the core of our being has been wrenched by some of the testimonies. We accompany people who suffer with long-lasting effects of things that have happened to them. So we feel the impact and for any child that has been abused whilst in our care we would feel the very, very deep sense of regret." She described the contradictions in evidence between the survivors and the various nuns who described Smyllum as a "happy place" as "completely bewildering".
The witness also spoke of the order's "ingrained" values, in particular of serving the poor. She added: "There is a hugely long tradition around how to behave with dignity and respect around children. So I find it really difficult to think that there was something systemic going on. I can't speak for the actions of individuals and I'm quite prepared to say that there's a possibility that many of the punishments occurred."
Sister Flynn also said the order was carrying out work to establish the names of former child residents buried in an unmarked grave at a nearby cemetery.
Pic: Chair Lady Smith at the first phase of hearings for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry [photo cred Nick Mailer]
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