The Catholic Church was aware long-term sex offenders were repeatedly abusing children while working in Ireland's church and state-run institutions, a report has revealed.
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The Child Abuse Commission detailed a catalogue of disturbing and chronic sexual, physical and emotional abuse inflicted on thousands of disadvantaged, neglected and abandoned children by both religious and lay staff over the last 70 years.
The dangers to the children were not taken into account, the inquiry found.
The report says: "The risk (to children), however, was seen by the congregations in terms of the potential scandal and bad publicity should the abuse be disclosed."
Judge Sean Ryan, who chaired the Commission, concluded that when confronted with evidence of sex abuse, religious authorities responded by transferring the sex offenders to another location, where in many instances they were free to abuse again.
"There was evidence that such men took up teaching positions sometimes within days of receiving dispensations because of serious allegations or admissions of sexual abuse," the report said.
"The safety of children in general was not a consideration."
Angry exchanges
Angry exchanges took place between Commission staff and victims of abuse, who were barred from the launch in a central Dublin hotel on Wednesday.
No abusers will be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry.
Institutions run by religious orders, including industrial and reform schools, institutions for the disabled, orphanages and ordinary day schools have been examined by the Commission over the past nine years.
While the names of alleged individual perpetrators have not been published - except for those already convicted by the court - the inquiry produced specific findings against 216 facilities.
The Sisters of Mercy and Christian Brothers, which ran the largest number of children's institutions, were among the long list of orders investigated.
'Predatory abuse'
Sexual abuse was endemic in boys' schools while in girls' schools, children were subjected to predatory abuse by male employees, visitors and while on outside placements.
Abuse was rarely reported to the State authorities but on the rare occasion the Department of Education was informed, it colluded with the religious orders in the culture of silence.
The Department generally dismissed or ignored sexual abuse complaints and never brought them to the attention of the Garda.
"At best, the abusers were moved but nothing was done about the harm done to the child.
"At worst, the child was blamed and seen as corrupted by the sexual activity, and was punished severely," the report stated.
Children were so badly neglected, survivors spoke of scavenging for food from waste bins and animal feed.
Unsupervised bullying in boys' schools often left smaller, weaker children without food.
Accommodation was cold, spartan and bleak while children were often left in soiled, wet work clothes after being forced to toil for long hours outdoors in farms, the report found.
Accountability
Victim John Walsh, of leading campaign group Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (Soca), called the report a hatchet job that left open wounds gaping.
"The little comfort we have is the knowledge that it vindicated the victims who were raped and sexually abused," said Mr Walsh.
"I'm very angry, very bitter, and feel cheated and deceived.
"I would have never opened my wounds if I'd known this was going to be the end result.
"It has devastated me and will devastate most victims because there is no criminal proceedings and no accountability whatsoever."
Other victims of the abuse have welcomed the report but have said that it doesn't go far enough.
"This report has not gone far enough. It is deeply flawed and incomplete," victims representative John Kelly said.
"The perpetrators of this abuse need to be held accountable."
Some of the abuses are more than 60 years old, with many of the alleged perpetrators already dead or infirm.
Apologies
Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland has said he is profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed.
He said: "This Report makes it clear that great wrong and hurt were caused to some of the most vulnerable children in our society. It documents a shameful catalogue of cruelty: neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, perpetrated against children.
"I am profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in these institutions. Children deserved better and especially from those caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ.
"I hope the publication of today's Report will help to heal the hurts of victims and to address the wrongs of the past. The Catholic Church remains determined to do all that is necessary to make the Church a safe, life-giving and joyful place for children."
The Christian Brothers also apologised for the abuse in the state and church run institutions.
In a statement the order, which ran some of the most fearsome schools, described the actions of some of its Brothers as deplorable.
The Presentation Brothers, which ran St Joseph's Industrial School for Boys, Cork, from 1940 until it closed in 1959, also added their apologies.
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, led by Mr Justice Sean Ryan, was set up in May 2000 by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern after a television documentary series revealed the scale of neglect in schools, hospitals and institutions run by religious orders.
Roughly 2,500 men and women who were abused in schools and institutions all over the country gave evidence to the Commission.
© Press Association