The funeral of Michael O’Brien heard how his courage illuminated a path for others to speak out
Michael O’Brien, clerical abuse survivor, was buried last week at the age of 92. Photo: Patrick Browne
When Mary Raftery’s groundbreaking 1999 RTÉ series States of Fear aired, one line, narrated by Áine Lawlor, stood out. “So far, only a fraction of the potential damage caused to children by these paedophiles is even known about.”
That stripping of reverential titles from those inflicting harm on children and referring to them as they behaved instead was important — to the victims who needed to be heard, and to the public, who needed to understand that no longer could we place on pedestals mortal men and women with divine calling, who behaved abysmally.
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