10 Apr 2011

Irish court rules Murphy report on clergy abuse in Cloyne diocese can published



RTE   -  Ireland        April 8, 2011

Cloyne Report chapters cleared for publication


The President of the High Court has cleared the way for the publication of most of the Cloyne Report on clerical abuse in the Catholic Diocese.



The President of the High Court has cleared the way for the publication of most of the Cloyne Report on clerical abuse in the Catholic Diocese.

But Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns prohibited until mid-July at the earliest publication of references to one priest so as not to prejudice the man's trial.

It follows an application by counsel for the Minister for Justice for the court to rule that a portion of the report not be published because it might prejudice criminal proceedings pending against one priest named in it.

On the instructions of Mr Justice Kearns, reporters were excluded during the brief deliberations.

When they were readmitted the judge gave his decision.

He said that the 26-chapter Report by the Commission of Investigation into the handling of allegations of abuse against 19 priests in the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne had been ordered by the Government in January 2009 and was completed last December.

He added there was a pending criminal trial against one of them and that he took the view that there was a risk that the trial - to take place very shortly - might be prejudiced if that particular
portion of the report, largely contained in Chapter 9 were to be published at this stage.

He said the decision to withhold those parts of the report would be reviewed by the court in mid-July.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he and the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, would make the necessary arrangements for the publication of the report as soon as practicable.

In a statement, Mr Shatter said he understood that counsel for the parties to this morning's hearing would now move to agree what deletions must be made to give effect to the Judge's order.

He said that once that process has been completed the two ministers would arrange for publication.

Meanwhile, victim support group One in Four has said Mr Justice Kearns' decision will come as a relief to the people who were sexually abused as children in the diocese, many of whom have been waiting for years to learn how it was that so many allegations were mishandled.

Executive Director Maeve Lewis said the organization regretted the postponement of the publication of one chapter, but accepted that it was necessary to ensure that current criminal proceedings were not prejudiced.

Noting that very few survivors of child sexual abuse engage with the criminal justice system, she said it was important that the cases which came before the Courts were not jeopardised in any way.

However, she said the charity was concerned that the omission of certain sections might undermine the integrity of the Report and might also mean that the full picture of how children were endangered in the Cloyne diocese would not emerge.

Judge Yvonne Murphy, who headed up the Commission of Investigation, was asked to extend her inquiry to the Co Cork diocese in January 2009.

A spokesman for the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dermot Clifford, who has been running Cloyne since before Bishop Magee's resignation over the scandals, said he had no comment to make on today's ruling.

One in Four is a charity that supports men and women who have experienced sexual violence during childhood.

The investigation followed a damning report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children.

That board, which was established by the Catholic Church itself, found that child protection practices in the Diocese of Cloyne were inadequate and in some respects dangerous.

Judge Murphy's report deals with allegations of abuse made against 19 priests over a 13-year period to 2009.

But some of those from whom she took evidence had carried the memory of their abuse from as far back as the 1970s.



This article was found at:




RELATED ARTICLES ON THIS BLOG:




Leaked confidential letter reveals Vatican's intention to prevent reporting of abuse to criminal authorities


Irish government rejects calls for Murphy Commission to investigate every diocese in Ireland for child abuse


Murphy report reveals Vatican and Irish bishops enabled Dublin priest to rape hundreds of boys for decades


Previously censored chapter of Murphy report showing shocking abuse and cover-up by Irish clergy to be published next week

Irish priest convicted of repeated rape of boy, subject of missing chapter in report showing shameful neglect of Dublin archdiocese
 


Dublin Archbishop says church self-centred, arrogant, failed children and rarely empathised with their pain 


Publishing Dublin archdiocese abuse report is crucial for victims

Catholic doctrine of "mental reservation" allowed senior clergy to lie and cover-up abuse without being guilty in the church's eyes

Irish Bishops apologize to abuse victims, but deny doctrine of 'Mental Reservation' used to cover up evil

New report on Catholic cover-up of abuse in Dublin details "horrific acts of depravity" 

Report on Dublin clergy abuse finds Catholic hierarchy covered up child abuse to protect Church's reputation

Irish police colluded with Catholic hierarchy in covering up clergy crimes against children 

Government orders all Irish bishops to submit lists of abuse complaints for national investigation

Pedophile Irish priest named in report as serial abuser of kids has been hiding in Scotland

Second bishop resigns in wake of Murphy Report on clergy abuse in Dublin archdiocese

Two more Irish bishops named in Dublin clergy abuse report resign, one still refuses to accept blame

Pope rejects resignations of two bishops from Dublin diocese where depraved child abuse occurred

Irish Bishop who reluctantly resigned over abuse scandal claimed he was inexperienced, but was professor of moral theology

Irish priest says cover-up of clergy abuse "goes right to the top in Rome"

Pope said to be "disturbed and distressed" over Irish clergy abuse, but no mention of Vatican's role in cover-up

Sinead O'Connor, a survivor of severe child abuse, says Vatican should be subject of criminal investigation for covering up crimes

Sinead O'Connor: "I am a terrorist as far as the issue of child abuse goes."

Vatican invites public to contact team investigating Irish clergy crimes, tells envoys they must report new allegations to police 

Clergy abuse survivor groups troubled, dismayed, insulted by Pope's picks to investigate Irish church

Irish clergy abuse survivors outraged over Pope's refusal to fire bishops and take full responsibility for cover-up

Irish abuse survivors criticize Boston Cardinal for celebrating mass with two bishops named in report for enabling child abuse

Pope's call for one day sex abuse summit with cardinals met with scepticism by survivors tired of talk and little action
 



After credible child abuse allegations or convictions most Catholic priests vanish from public view with no oversight or accountability



No comments:

Post a Comment