It is now aparant that the abuse of children is not a new phenomena as the
Christian Brothers were quite abusive toward children.
while most damning, it would appear that there a number of organizations that
are trying to right the wrong. My point is that it should have never
happened in the first place.
"Suffer the little children..." seems to hae been bastardized to "Suffer
little children..."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/child_migrants.shtml
"Charles Wheeler presents a major four part series telling through new
documentary evidence and vivid personal testimony, the true story of the
forced migration of unwanted children from Britain over a sixty year period.
The series is based largely on the personal testimony of over 150 former
child migrants sent to Australia, Rhodesia, Canada and New Zealand, making it
the largest project ever undertaken on the subject. Also interviewed are many
of the original legislators and child care specialists involved in the
policy.
This policy, sanctioned and supported by a succession of Governments was
described in 1999 as "one of the most disgraceful episodes in post war
politics".
The migrated children were euphemistically referred to as "the seeds of
empire", and told that they would find an idyllic lifestyle in a new country.
In reality, they were often badly cared for, counted as second-class
citizens, arrived sick or without a name, and found over-crowded and run-down
institutions waiting for them at the other end of their journey.
Particularly guilty were the homes of the Christian Brothers in Australia
where several thousand children were accommodated over the years and where
physical and sexual abuse and under-nourishment seems to have been rife.
A number of other British agencies such as Barnardos, the Fairbridge Society,
The National Children's Homes co-operated in maintaining the policy for so
long and despite warnings from governments and independent inspectors, it was
pursued for almost 6 decades."
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