A FORMER nun who is prominent in the child abuse report and whose 1999 conviction for the rape of a girl in her care was later declared a miscarriage of justice has been tracked down to a rehabilitation centre. Nora Wall's "alarming" and "disastrous" management of children in her care in Waterford in the 1980s is extensively outlined in the Ryan report.
Ms Wall, given the pseudonym Sr Callida in the report, is now living and working as a gardener at Cuan Mhuire in Athy, Co Kildare, a rehabilitation centre for people "suffering from addictions".
Ms Wall declined to comment on the findings of the commission when contacted. "I do not want to talk to you," she said.
The report's chapter on St Michael's Industrial School in Cappoquin is dominated by Ms Wall's tenure at the home, when she was known as Sr Dominic.
In July 1999, she had her conviction for the rape of a 12-year-old girl quashed after it emerged that a crucial witness had given evidence after the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that she should not be called. A miscarriage of justice was declared in 2005.
The Ryan report tells how Ms Wall was put in charge of one of the homes which replaced the industrial school in 1975 and later became resident manager.
Her behaviour there is described as "inappropriate and dangerous".
The commission heard that she went absent for days without notice. She allowed children to sleep in her bedroom, and often shared her room with the convent superior.
In the late 1970s, her superior asked a nun, given the pseudonym Sr Melita, to keep an eye on matters but Sr Melita was compromised when she and Ms Wall developed "a close intimate relationship".
The report also heard of parties in the home, men who stayed overnight, and older boys who sexually abused younger ones.
"There was never a time when I was out of order or didn't know my place or was falling all over the place. I dispute that," Ms Wall told the commission.
Ms Wall was removed as the home's resident manager in 1990.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Source (II)
SV (4)