Half of Magdalene laundry women in 1950s and 1960s never left again’

If Sister Peter were not at St. Joseph Boys Home in Christchurch New Zealand... I would of being one of these ladies who never left the catholic church orphanages... do you know what it is like not having a soul to talk to?... not having a friend you could trust... what it is like to run and hide from the nuns and the older girls?... what it is like to be so scared and frightened to even talk?... to look behind you more than in-front of you... to be locked in a little room with no lights or window?... in the dark just curled up in the corner of that room for hours on end... and not be able to see where the rats where...
FEAR... fear of everyone and everything around you... so the only way you survive is to be by yourself at all times... or go out of yourself...I always did this when I was thrashed every day and night...
When Brian started to come up to see me... he was turned away by the nun at the front door... he never once gave up... he would sleep under the hedge along the driveway... then come up the next day... he did this every weekend for four months... the nuns must of had a talk about it... because Sister Peter asked me if I knew a man named Brian... I told her yes... that I had meet him at a dance which all us girls went to... I was 23years old and it was the 1st time that I had ever gone out... I was allowed to see him and at first we were not allowed to leave the boys home... you know what... I never knew anything different... he would walk 25miles there and 25miles back each weekend...
I could tell you more but you must be fed-up with me by now... Sorry for going on... but I can not help with what is on my mind all the time... about all kinds of abuse which never leaves you... and you never forget it.. Ann.

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Half of the women at one Magdalene laundry in the 1950s and 1960s never left the institution again but died years later behind the convent walls, according to research which strongly contradicts the Martin McAleese report.
“JFM research has found that 50% of the women who were resident at the Donnybrook laundry between 1954 and 1964 remained there until their death, never seeing freedom,” said Ms McGettrick. “Similar research at Hyde Park laundry has revealed that 30% of the women resident at the laundry between 1954 and 1964 also remained under the care of the nuns until they died.”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/half-of-magdalene-laundry-women-in-1950s-and-1960s-never-left-again-276674.html