PRESSURE is mounting for official Government inquiries into the response to child sex abuse in all Catholic dioceses after Church-sponsored audits showed serious failings by numerous bishops.
Abuse survivors complained the six audits published Wednesday were not independent and did not name abusers, detail how allegations were mishandled, or interview victims.
The audits found that, since 1975, claims were made against 85 priests in the dioceses of Raphoe, Tuam, Kilmore, Dromore, Ardagh and Derry with just eight priests convicted.
The audits found that, since 1975, claims were made against 85 priests in the dioceses of Raphoe, Tuam, Kilmore, Dromore, Ardagh and Derry with just eight priests convicted.
But unlike the Ferns, Dublin and Cloyne inquiries, which were conducted by state commissions, the audits were by the Church’s own National Board for the Safeguarding of Children.
Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International Ireland said: "We need to be conscious that these are reports by a body sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church, only published with the approval of the bishops concerned."
Victims of serial abuser Fr Eugene Greene in Raphoe dismissed as a "whitewash the audit of that diocese, accepted by its bishop Philip Boyce to have ‘probably’ the worst child abuse record in the country".
Victim Martin Gallagher said the audit failed to take account of victims who did not make formal complaints: "We’ve been let down again. The only thing that can be done now is a full state investigation. It took me 10 minutes to read it [the 20-page audit]. It was a joke."
One in Four also said many survivors would be angry and frustrated that the audits did not explore the Church’s knowledge and handling of abuse in the past.
Opposition TDs called for official inquiries. Fianna Fáil’s spokesman on children Charlie McConalogue said investigations were needed into the role of both Church and state. "It is quite clear, given the upsetting and disturbing revelations today, that further investigations are needed."
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said Raphoe required deeper probing, given the report’s lack of detail and independent overview.
Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald also acknowledged the limitations of the audits: "The publication of the six reports today, while to be welcomed, does not provide a national assessment of current safeguarding practice across the Catholic Church."
The HSE is also auditing child protection practices across all dioceses and Ms Fitzgerald said: "We need to await the findings of this work before we can say with confidence that children are fully protected."
She did welcome what she said was the reports’ "evidence of a new and more transparent approach by the Church to the issue of child protection".
The head of the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children, Ian Elliot, said the reports showed "improvements in the attitude to and understanding of child protection". He said six more audits would be published next summer and it was intended audits into all dioceses and religious orders would be completed two years later.
The findings
* Raphoe: Three successive bishops, including the current one, made significant errors in responding to abuse allegations, particularly against Fr Eugene Greene.
* Tuam: Responses to allegations under predecessors to the current archbishop were defensive and internally focused with a lack of awareness of the suffering of victims. Two archbishops delayed in removing alleged abusers from ministry.
* Derry: Priests under suspicion were not robustly challenged or adequately managed, and often dealt with by being posted elsewhere.
* Ardagh/Clonmacnois: The approach to child protection was laudable but the diocese was not up to date on all paperwork and needed to form more structured working relationships with the gardaí.
* Kilmore: The diocese had become a model of best practice for child protection within the Church over the past 13 years but had learned from the damage caused by Fr Brendan Smyth.
* Dromore: An over- reliance on obtaining legal advice delayed action in some cases. Under a previous bishop, protecting the accused priest was the priority rather than child safety.
Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International Ireland said: "We need to be conscious that these are reports by a body sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church, only published with the approval of the bishops concerned."
Victims of serial abuser Fr Eugene Greene in Raphoe dismissed as a "whitewash the audit of that diocese, accepted by its bishop Philip Boyce to have ‘probably’ the worst child abuse record in the country".
Victim Martin Gallagher said the audit failed to take account of victims who did not make formal complaints: "We’ve been let down again. The only thing that can be done now is a full state investigation. It took me 10 minutes to read it [the 20-page audit]. It was a joke."
One in Four also said many survivors would be angry and frustrated that the audits did not explore the Church’s knowledge and handling of abuse in the past.
Opposition TDs called for official inquiries. Fianna Fáil’s spokesman on children Charlie McConalogue said investigations were needed into the role of both Church and state. "It is quite clear, given the upsetting and disturbing revelations today, that further investigations are needed."
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said Raphoe required deeper probing, given the report’s lack of detail and independent overview.
Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald also acknowledged the limitations of the audits: "The publication of the six reports today, while to be welcomed, does not provide a national assessment of current safeguarding practice across the Catholic Church."
The HSE is also auditing child protection practices across all dioceses and Ms Fitzgerald said: "We need to await the findings of this work before we can say with confidence that children are fully protected."
She did welcome what she said was the reports’ "evidence of a new and more transparent approach by the Church to the issue of child protection".
The head of the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children, Ian Elliot, said the reports showed "improvements in the attitude to and understanding of child protection". He said six more audits would be published next summer and it was intended audits into all dioceses and religious orders would be completed two years later.
The findings
* Raphoe: Three successive bishops, including the current one, made significant errors in responding to abuse allegations, particularly against Fr Eugene Greene.
* Tuam: Responses to allegations under predecessors to the current archbishop were defensive and internally focused with a lack of awareness of the suffering of victims. Two archbishops delayed in removing alleged abusers from ministry.
* Derry: Priests under suspicion were not robustly challenged or adequately managed, and often dealt with by being posted elsewhere.
* Ardagh/Clonmacnois: The approach to child protection was laudable but the diocese was not up to date on all paperwork and needed to form more structured working relationships with the gardaí.
* Kilmore: The diocese had become a model of best practice for child protection within the Church over the past 13 years but had learned from the damage caused by Fr Brendan Smyth.
* Dromore: An over- reliance on obtaining legal advice delayed action in some cases. Under a previous bishop, protecting the accused priest was the priority rather than child safety.