The Magdalene Laundries

UPDATE: Ireland's Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has released a damming report on abuse in reformatories (these 'schools' were also tax-supported), including Magdelene Laundries, run by the Catholic Church in Ireland. The report found abuse was edemic and spread throughout all of the institutions. Victims of the abuse have been lobbying for an investigation for many years, and although the report is detailed the names of abusers are missing from it.
To read the Inquiry's report follow this link:
http://www.childabusecommission.ie/rpt/

Magdalene Asylums were institutions for so-called "fallen" women, most of them operated by different orders of the Roman Catholic Church. In most asylums, the inmates were required to undertake hard physical labour such as laundry work. In Ireland, such asylums were known as Magdalene Laundries. It has been estimated that 30,000 women were admitted during the 150-year history of these institutions, often against their will. The last Magdalene Asylum in Ireland closed on September 25, 1996. (From Wikipedia)

'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing' Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

Please comment.

Music:
'The Magdalene Laundries' Joni Mitchell

Pictures: Most pictres were taken from Google Images, some were also taken from http://silverstealth.fotopic.net/c1509609.html.

For more information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbPyvF9fnhg
http://www.adoptionireland.com/magdalene/gag_mag_postcard.html
http://www.magdalenelaundries.com/home.htm
http://www.netreach.net/~steed/magdalen.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_Asylum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magdalene_Sisters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUOhwsqFAEg&feature=channel_page