Second priest from Tuam steps aside amid claims

Saturday October 29th 2005

A SECOND priest accused of sexual assault in the diocese of Tuam has stepped down from duties.

The priest - who is alleged to have assaulted the 17-year-old victim in the 70s - is believed to be living in the south of Ireland while a Garda investigation is being carried out.

It is not known when he was asked to step aside.

The latest revelations emerged after the Irish Independent revealed earlier this week that a priest accused of rape was continuing to serve in the diocese of Tuam. However, he was suspended on Thursday.

COUNSELLING

In the most recent case to come to light the alleged victim said that she went to the priest for advice but that her "life was destroyed" after he sexually assaulted her.

Speaking on MidWest Radio, she said that she had been in counselling all her life as a result of the alleged incident. She said that she contacted Bishop Michael Neary after going to the Garda some time ago, but that she has not heard from the Diocesan House in almost a year.

She was assigned a "delegate" whom she met twice but said she is distraught that she has not had "so much as a phone call" in 12 months or that the bishop himself had not attempted to contact her .

"I'm in limbo and very very angry and bitter," she said. "I never heard from Bishop Neary and that's the most hurtful thing. I'm just another number."

She wants to know why the priest was moved to another place and believes the move signals other allegations against him.

She explained that the memory of what happened is like "a cancer" eating into her and she turned to drink some years ago to try and numb the pain. She is tee-total now but the priest in question still haunts her.

HAUNTS

"I see that priest's face all the time. I could be looking at the wall and see his face. "They're going on about Ferns but as far as I'm concerned the West of Ireland is just as bad," she said.

Fr Brendan Kilcoyne, spokesman for the bishop, said the diocese accepted there had been problems with abuse and that they had a lot to learn.

They were going to look at their guidelines again which only deal with cases of child sex abuse. He refused to comment on individual cases.

Meanwhile, the priest at the centre of the rape allegations was not at the parochial house yesterday.

However, when contacted by the Irish Independent he said he had no comment to make on the allegations.

Edel Kennedy

? Irish Independent