Gray from Tuam: Search for almost 800 disappeared babies started!

Gray from Tuam: Search for almost 800 disappeared babies started!

In today's Tuam, Ireland, a shocking search begins that could bring the dark history of the country to light. Under the playground of a former mother-child home, the remains of almost 800 babies and small children, who died in this facility between 1925 and 1961. According to [pz-news.de] (https://www.pz-news.de/home_artikel ,-das-grauen- von-tuche-nach-babyleichen-Hat-Hat-Het-Het-Het-Hat-Hat-Hat-Hat-Hat-Hat-Hat-Having), the excavations that are used for months have recently started. The decision was made in 2018 after historian Catherine Corless had drawn attention to the shocking circumstances in which these children had to live and die.

in the facility, operated by the Catholic nuns of the Order Bon Secours, illegitimate children and their mothers were often treated very badly. Many of these children are said to have been disposed of in a former sewage tank, which has repeatedly caused excitement and horror in recent years. In a mass grave, the remains of 796 newborns and small children are to be suspected - only two children have been officially buried. According to unilad.com, medical care in these homes was so bad that many children died of malnutrition or illnesses such as grin and tuberculosis. The stories of these sad fates are part of a shocking reality.

a dark heir

The horror of the past runs through the history of Ireland, in which sex before marriage was considered severe sin and many women were deported to this homes with “shame”. Terri Harrison, a survivor of these institutions, describes the conditions as "hell" and reports on hard work and abuse in an [interview with SRF] (https://www.srf.ch/kultur/sgesellschaft/mutter-kind-kind-in-irland-war-in-hoelle- From 1922 the state handed over control over social institutions of the Roman Catholic Church, which in many places led to a protective posture of the institutions, which ultimately ignored the suffering of women and children.

The excavations in Tuam should not only identify the remains of the children, but also enable a worthy funeral. Historian Corless was relieved about the start of work, which is described as a long and painful process. The Irish head of government Micheál Martin and church representatives have now apologized to the suffering that was caused in these homes.

public reaction and research

The processing of this dark story is far from over. An independent report from 2021 revealed that around 1922 and 1998 around 9,000 children died in similar facilities. Irish society is deeply affected with the finds, and it is clear that these tragedies were not only personal fates, but also reflected a structural problem in society. The [srf.ch] (https://www.srf.ch/kultur/mutter-kind-kind-in-in-irland-war-in-der-hoelle- landed) reports that the outcry is getting louder, while more and more people are committed to the rights of those affected.

The search for the remains in Tuam is a step towards commemoration and the necessary step to duly appreciate the horrors of the past. In a country that has to struggle for its dark history, this is a crucial step in the direction of a complete and fair processing.