Members of the Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA) are to demand that their side of the residential institutions story be publicly heard by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.
The group's John Kelly said last night that they would be attending today's hearing of the commission's investigation committee, to seek "equal opportunity" with Brother David Gibson, who suggested at yesterday's hearing that abuse victims were motivated by money in making complaints.
Mr Kelly said he had been inundated with angry calls from members who believe commission chairman Justice Seán Ryan had "constructed a platform for religious to use in a frenzied denial". He continued: "We want equal rights to articulate what happened us as children".
Last night, the director general of the Law Society, Ken Murphy, expressed surprise at allegations by Brother Gibson that solicitors had attended meetings of victims in Irish and English pubs to discuss compensation and had distributed thousands of copies of RTÉ programmes (about abuse) as well as lists of alleged perpetrators.
He asked that Brother Gibson supply him with any specific evidence he may have to support such allegations, where they would be investigated as all such allegations are, as appropriate.
