New abuse timebomb

Monday October 31st 2005

Second diocese now faced withscandal even worse than Ferns
A CHILD abuse timebomb is ticking away in another Catholic archdiocese.
Allegations have been recorded against a shocking total of 27 priests who have served in the archdiocese of Tuam.
The Ferns scandal involved 21 priests.

Astonishingly, eight clerics have left the priesthood in Tuam after a "reasonable suspicion" that child abuse had taken place was established.
Three clerics have already been convicted of horrific child sex abuse charges.

Last night Colm O?Gorman, Director of One in Four, said the claims in Tuam were "on a par" with Ferns, given the similarity of the population of each diocese.

Mr O'Gorman said he found it remarkable that bishops were only now making these figures available now , even though in some cases they were available for the last 50 years.

The earliest case revealed yesterday dates back to 1940.

A statement yesterday revealed that allegations have been made against "a total of 19 priests," - six of whom are now dead.

And it has emerged that claims have also been made against seven priests from other dioceses who served in the archdiocese of Tuam.

One further allegation has been made against a priest whom it has not been possible to identify.

The spotlight in the abuse scandal switched to Tuam, following a revelation in the Irish Independent that a priest was continuing to serve in the archdiocese after a formal complaint of rape had been made.

A second priest in the archdiocese is also under investigation by the Gardai for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl in the 1970s.

He is believed to have been living in the south of the country for some time.

Tuam Archbishop Dr Michael Neary yesterday attempted to explain to the people of the diocese why he had initially declined to ask the priest to stand down.

Delivering a homily in Tuam Cathedral, Dr Neary insisted that he had consulted with various sources, including the gardai, before being satisfied that no public safety issue existed in the case.

But, the "balancing exercise" that had led to this decision was altered on Thursday of last week when, he claimed, the "confidentiality of the Garda investigation was breached" in last week's Irish Independent front page story.

He assured the people of the diocese that the procedures in place to protect children were of "a very high standard".

The diocese refused to say when the claims were made or what the nature of the allegations were.

Every allegation which has been made against a living priest is known to the Gardai, a statement issued by the Catholic Press Office stressed.

No priest is currently in ministry who is the subject of a child sex abuse investigation, the statement stressed.

In all, eight civil actions claiming damages for child sex abuse had been brought, seven of which had been settled for ?327,000.

Legal fees cost ?170,000, making a total payout of half a million euro.

Bishops throughout the country issued apologies in the wake of the Ferns report over the weekend with many priests reading the letters at masses but there was no sense of any easing off in the crisis.

Brian McDonald

? Irish Independent