Sir, - Regarding the controversy resulting from Louis Lentin's Dear Daughter it is becoming increasingly clear that the tactics of the scuttlefish are being deployed to undermine the credibility of the harrowing testimonies of Christine Buckley and many others who suffered as children in institutions run by religious orders in the past. The wily scuttlefish, when he is unable to extricate himself from trouble he causes, blackens the water about him till he becomes invisible, just as accusing Ms Buckley and others of conjuring up "improbable stories" allows the perpetrators of their childhood suffering off the hook while greatly increasing the anguish of already traumatised victims.
It is important to assure Christine Buckley and many others that they can find consolation in the fact that the pervasive certain knowledge and experience of the physical and mental punishment inflicted on many children in day schools in the past ensures that the revelations of the suffering of defenceless children in full time care at that time is indeed very credible to the often underestimated, intelligent plain people of Ireland. However, according to the Rev Colin Garvey Reg Gahan and your media correspondent, in Dear Daughter they were shown "the illustrated fantasies of the protagonist and not the truth, bizarre allegations against a particular nun, a simple story of one woman's experience" etc. (The Irish Times, April 11th, 22nd and 23rd). As the helpline counselling services and the airwaves have been inundated with callers who, because of Christine Buckley's bravery, have found the courage to speak of their childhood suffering, it seems Ms Buckley's "simple" story was only the tip of the iceberg.
Perhaps the rose tinted view held by those who criticised Ms Buckley is excusable on the grounds that they may have been privileged to be educated in schools were even some of the "minor" forms of punishment inflicted on children in other schools were not used, descriptions of these punishments on your letters page would certainly upset rose tinted sensibilities. - Yours, etc.,
Main Street,
Ennistymon, Co Clare.