Report: Irish Catholic Church Kept Child Abuse Secret

According to a newly released report commissioned by the Irish government, the Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic authorities in Ireland kept hundreds of complaints concerning the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy covered up — for nearly 30 years. –KA

CNN:

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin apologized Thursday in a news conference. “No words of apology can ever be sufficient,” he said.

And Dermot Ahern, Ireland’s justice minister, said he felt a “a growing sense of revulsion and anger” as he read the report.

“Bottom line is this: A collar will protect no villain,” he said.

The commission was set up in March 2006 to look into allegations of child sexual abuse made against clergy in the Irish capital. Its report was completed in July.

Although the commission said it was not its place to “establish whether or not abuse occurred … it is abundantly clear … that child sexual abuse by clerics was widespread throughout the period.”

One victim, Marie Collins, said those who covered up the abuse were just as guilty as the perpetrators of the crimes.

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