In an apalling discovery, the remains of hundreds of babies, ranging from new-born to three-years-old, have been found in the sewers of a former Church-run home for unmarried mothers in Tuam, Ireland, the government said on Friday.
Mass graves of almost 800 babies
Radiocarbon dating found the remains, which ranged from 35-week-old fetuses to 3-year-olds, dated from between 1925 and 1961, when the home was run by the Bon Secours Sisters.
The findings are based on an inquiry the Irish government ordered into the issue 2014 after a local historian claimed that up to 800 children may lie in an unmarked grave at the home in the western town of Tuam, where, according to records, almost 800 children died between 1925 and 1961.
The Church ran many of Ireland’s social services in the 20th century, including mother-and-baby homes where tens of thousands of unmarried pregnant women, including rape victims, were sent to give birth.
Unmarried mothers and their children were seen as a stain on Ireland’s image as a devout Catholic nation. They were also a problem for some of the fathers, particularly powerful figures such as priests and wealthy, married men.
Government records show that in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the mortality rate for “illegitimate” children was often more than five times that of those born to married parents. On average, more than one in four children born out of wedlock died.
Country-Wide Search
In 2014, the Archbishop of Dublin said that “if something happened in Tuam, it probably happened in other mother-and-baby homes around the country.” The commission is investigating 17 other church-run institutions.
The commission did not say how many babies’ remains were recovered or how many might still be buried in what are believed to be the home’s sewage and/or waste water treatment system.
Ireland’s once powerful Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of scandals over the abuse and neglect of children. The Archbishop of Tuam said in 2014 he was horrified and saddened by the historian’s discovery.
Ireland’s Minister for Children said they would work with local authorities to investigate further and decide what should happen to the remains.
The Irish government will widen an inquiry into former Church-run homes for unmarried mothers if needed, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Monday, calling the discovery of long-dead babies at one home “truly appalling”.
Feature Image Source: Reuters
