Where Is the Outrage? Another Cover-Up in the Grace Case
Here we go again.
Another inquiry. Another report. Another cover-up.
€13 million of taxpayers’ money spent – not to deliver justice, not to uncover the full truth, but to sanitise it. To water it down. To quietly exclude “extensive submissions” from Grace’s own legal team without explanation, without consequence.
This is the case that keeps on giving, and the cover-ups that keep on happening.
Surely it is a crime to cover up a crime? When will we, as a nation, stop accepting these failures as business as usual? Ignorance is not a defence. Omitting critical documentation is not an accident. It is a choice, and choices like these protect systems, not people.
Iain Smith, a man who dared to speak up and demand answers, has paid a profound personal price for seeking justice for Grace. His life, and that of his family, was derailed for doing the right thing. For holding a mirror up to a State that continues to look away. He should be honoured for his bravery, not punished by silence.
Where is the public outcry for people like Iain? For whistleblowers who walk straight into the storm because no one else will?
The Commission That Silenced Grace Again
Marie-Claire Butler, the General Solicitor, Minors and Wards of Court, responsible for Grace, confirmed this week that extensive legal submissions made on her behalf were not included in the Farrelly Commission’s final report. That report, six years in the making, cost millions and ran over 2,000 pages, yet somehow found no evidence that Grace was physically or sexually abused, despite undeniable injuries and years of concerns raised.
After a six-year delay, we are supposed to believe that extensive legal submissions made on behalf of Grace were just not included?
Let that sink in, extensive submissions, possibly containing vital details, evidence, and context – were submitted by her legal team and simply omitted. Where is the outrage?
John McGuinness said it plainly:
“Let no one convince you otherwise, Grace was violently sexually abused on numerous occasions, to the extent that to this day she carries the scars. When is inserting implements into a woman’s anus without consent not anal rape?”
Grace, abandoned in a foster home despite abuse allegations, unwashed, bruised, and neglected was not seen by a social worker until she was 17. She is now 46. After decades of systemic failures, the State still cannot bring itself to tell the full truth.
These are crimes. Full stop. Yet the final report tiptoes around physical abuse, finds “no evidence” of sexual abuse, and focuses instead on dental neglect and clothing.
This isn’t just incompetence – it’s a strategic failure of accountability.
The Children Still Dying and A System Designed to Protect Itself
This is not just about Grace. It’s about every child Ireland has failed.
While we’re told “lessons have been learned”, the reality screams otherwise.
- Since 2014 – 235 children in State care or known to Tusla have died – ten were murdered.
- Since 2021 – 161 children suspected of being sexually exploited were referred to Gardaí – 115 were in State care.
- 95,000 children were referred to Tusla last year alone.
- 37 children are currently missing from State care – 32 of them are refugees or seeking asylum.
These are not statistics. These are lives.
When reports are released, they are buried under legalese, whitewashed findings, and conveniently “excluded” submissions. The system always wins – because it was built to.
Yet, Tusla still uses unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements to house children. Whistleblowers continue to raise alarms about unsafe conditions, poor vetting, and neglect. But those voices are routinely sidelined.
Grace Deserved Better — They All Do
We can’t keep pretending these are isolated failures. They’re not. They’re symptoms of a system that punishes truth-tellers, gaslights victims, and pours millions into investigations that are more concerned with optics than justice.
This was not care. This was not protection. This was not justice.
This was a cover-up. Again.
The real question now is – When will the Gardaí investigate that?
What message does this send to survivors?
To the families who lost children?
To the advocates and whistleblowers trying to protect the most vulnerable?
Where Is the Accountability?
Who decided what was “relevant” enough to include in a 2,000-page report?
Who made the call to leave out submissions from Grace’s own legal representatives?
Who will answer for this?
Where are the Gardaí in investigating this – not just the original abuse, but the cover-up?
Where is the outrage from our leaders? From our people?
We owe Grace, and the countless other children failed by the system. Truth. Justice. Accountability.
This isn’t history. It’s happening now. Unless we raise our voices, unless we demand better, the next report will come, bloated with bureaucracy, light on accountability, and the cycle will continue.
Join me on LinkedIn
Subscribe to The FEMCAST and help us bring these critical stories to light. Each listener, each voice, and each story makes a difference. Together, we can break the silence.
If you enjoy my content and would like to support our research and work, consider buying me a coffee (by clicking link below). Your contribution helps me continue creating this content. Thank you for your support!
