Bishops in Dublin Protect Priests Accused of Child Abuse

Monday, July 27th, 2009
Original article

The new report on clerical child abuse in the Irish capital of Dublin contains allegations that certain priests were moved from parish to parish to protect them from the law.

Officials at the Irish Department of Justice say they have been shocked by findings in the report, which was submitted by the Dublin Diocese Commission, on how the Catholic Church in Dublin handled the claims.

The report, which was commissioned in 2006, is forthright with its findings and describes how certain priests were moved from one parish to another in an effort to keep them one step ahead of the law.

Submitted to the Minister of Justice, Dermot Ahern, last week, the report has no confirmed publication date, as two priests named in the document are to be prosecuted for child abuse offenses, and the Attorney General is looking into the legal ramifications of publication.

Archbishop of Dublin Dr. Diarmuid Martin has said that people will be horrified by the report, which looks at 46 cases of alleged abuse since 1940 and the way which the heads of the Church in Dublin managed them.

The report covers the period from when Archbishop John Charles McQuaid ministered the community right up to Cardinal Desmond Connell.

Last year, Cardinal Connell tried to stop Archbishop Martin providing “privileged documents” to the Commission, but he subsequently decided to not pursue this objection.