Press release 05/08/26

Restore Together condemns Christian Brothers' legal strategy and calls for prioritisation of Survivors (People) Over Institutions 

The advocacy and support group Restore Together condemns in the strongest terms the legal strategy being pursued by the Christian Brothers in *non-recent child sexual abuse cases. Their strategy continues the abuse which is especially outrageous given the Christian Brothers mission and ethos as ‘men of God’. It represents both a profound moral failure and a deliberate systematic approach designed to delay, delay, delay until victims/ survivors either give up or pass away without any admission, apology or atonement. Justice delayed is justice denied.

The Christian Brothers should be Christian in all their dealings. All victims/ survivors deserve immediate compassion, accountability and true Christian justice—not further obstacles and legal manoeuvres of any kind.

Restore Together is engaged in an alternative path to litigation. The restorative justice programme we have advocated for and is being (all too slowly) implemented by the Spiritan Order has demonstrated that, where survivors freely choose it, restorative processes can provide acknowledgement, accountability, truth-telling and healing that adversarial legal processes alone often fail to deliver.

Restorative Justice puts the victim/ survivor, not institutions or legalities, at the centre of a process designed to actually help the person heal. The non-adversarial programme being implemented by the Spiritan Order is victim/ survivor-led and will become a lot faster in restoring the balance in peoples' lives once professional structures are activated.

Given Ireland’s record in handling sexual abuse, there is enormous potential for Restorative Justice to be adopted and applied in many more settings.

Note: * The term ‘non-recent’ is preferred to ‘historical’ when referencing unresolved sex abuse cases perpetrated in the past. This is because for victims/ survivors the sexual abuse inflicted on them is anything but historical. It is very much part of their daily existence and has been since they were abused. The term ‘historical’ lessens the perspective of victims/ survivors and favours the perpetrators.