A cleric asked to examine abuse allegations against a fellow priest suggested a teenage victim was to blame, a previously unpublished section of the Cloyne Report has revealed.
“Chapter Nine”, labelled the most troubling of the inquiry into the Cloyne Diocese, found the bishop’s advisory committee tried to ensure the young woman’s complaints were not treated as child abuse.
It also found gardaí buried an allegation of child abuse made by a young boy against the same priest.
Archdeacon Chris Twohig, a cleric drafted in to investigate a colleague identified only as Fr Ronat, offered a disturbing analysis of allegations of abuse made by a young woman when aged 15-19.
In his report on the young woman’s claims, the priest wondered if it could be deduced that the girl was harassing or “besetting” Fr Ronat( now known to be Fr Dan Duanne, Cecilstown, Mallow, Co Cork) .
He added: “Might it not be possible that (the girl) is the Ophelia of Hamlet - sweet bells jangled.”
The inquiry found the Archdeacon’s report lacked any evidence of a genuine investigation and was not impartial.
“It seems to the Commission to be largely concerned with providing reasons why this might not be classified as child sexual abuse. It also, notably, seeks to lay the blame for what occurred on (the girl),” the inquiry found.
Fr Ronat, who also worked in career guidance, is accused of giving teenagers wine, hypnotising them and abusing while hearing confessions in his bedroom.
He is the 19th cleric allegations have been made against in Cloyne.
Fr Ronat also repeatedly defied instructions to stop all standard priestly duties and was found to have been turning up at confirmations.
Chapter nine focuses on the devastating failures of former bishop and Vatican aide John Magee and his right-hand man Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan, the vicar general in the Cork diocese of Cloyne.
They deliberately misled authorities and did not report allegations as recently as three years ago.
Magee resigned from duties last year as pressure mounted over the inquiry and his running of affairs in the diocese.
Despite the girl featured in the report accusing Fr Ronat of abusing her between the ages of 15 and 19, Magee’s advisers declared in 1995 that she was 17 when the abuse started – an age that ruled out paedophilia.
Much of chapter nine – the longest chapter in the report – was redacted over fears the material could prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings against Fr Ronat, a pseudonym for the priest concerned.
It involved allegations from 10 girls aged 15-21 and one boy.
Matthew alleged abuse by Fr Ronat when he was 14 or 15. Despite initial complaints in 1996 from the boy’s mother, Monsignor O’Callaghan failed to report the allegations to gardaí until 2003. No charges were brought.
The inquiry rejected Garda excuses for failing to act, adding: “The statement seems to have been put in a drawer and forgotten about until raised by this investigation.”
It is understood Fr Ronat has not been convicted in relation to a child abuse matter.
He also threatened to sue people complaining about him, the girl's parents and threatened legal action against then Bishop Magee but the inquiry branded this a bluff.
The commission previously stated failures in the handling of complaints against Fr Ronat rested mainly on Magee and the Monsignor, while at least three priests of the diocese also ignored complaints.
Fr Ronat admitted practising hypnosis during the 1980s as a hobby, but said he only used it on people trying to overcome addictions.
Victims, when interviewed by gardaí, were quizzed on whether he used hypnosis on them. One of them, a 15-year-old girl, suggested he did.
But Bishop Magee denied any knowledge of his using hypnosis at all.
Magee’s resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict in March 2010.
“Chapter Nine”, labelled the most troubling of the inquiry into the Cloyne Diocese, found the bishop’s advisory committee tried to ensure the young woman’s complaints were not treated as child abuse.
It also found gardaí buried an allegation of child abuse made by a young boy against the same priest.
Archdeacon Chris Twohig, a cleric drafted in to investigate a colleague identified only as Fr Ronat, offered a disturbing analysis of allegations of abuse made by a young woman when aged 15-19.
In his report on the young woman’s claims, the priest wondered if it could be deduced that the girl was harassing or “besetting” Fr Ronat( now known to be Fr Dan Duanne, Cecilstown, Mallow, Co Cork) .
He added: “Might it not be possible that (the girl) is the Ophelia of Hamlet - sweet bells jangled.”
The inquiry found the Archdeacon’s report lacked any evidence of a genuine investigation and was not impartial.
“It seems to the Commission to be largely concerned with providing reasons why this might not be classified as child sexual abuse. It also, notably, seeks to lay the blame for what occurred on (the girl),” the inquiry found.
Fr Ronat, who also worked in career guidance, is accused of giving teenagers wine, hypnotising them and abusing while hearing confessions in his bedroom.
He is the 19th cleric allegations have been made against in Cloyne.
Fr Ronat also repeatedly defied instructions to stop all standard priestly duties and was found to have been turning up at confirmations.
Chapter nine focuses on the devastating failures of former bishop and Vatican aide John Magee and his right-hand man Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan, the vicar general in the Cork diocese of Cloyne.
They deliberately misled authorities and did not report allegations as recently as three years ago.
Magee resigned from duties last year as pressure mounted over the inquiry and his running of affairs in the diocese.
Despite the girl featured in the report accusing Fr Ronat of abusing her between the ages of 15 and 19, Magee’s advisers declared in 1995 that she was 17 when the abuse started – an age that ruled out paedophilia.
Much of chapter nine – the longest chapter in the report – was redacted over fears the material could prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings against Fr Ronat, a pseudonym for the priest concerned.
It involved allegations from 10 girls aged 15-21 and one boy.
Matthew alleged abuse by Fr Ronat when he was 14 or 15. Despite initial complaints in 1996 from the boy’s mother, Monsignor O’Callaghan failed to report the allegations to gardaí until 2003. No charges were brought.
The inquiry rejected Garda excuses for failing to act, adding: “The statement seems to have been put in a drawer and forgotten about until raised by this investigation.”
It is understood Fr Ronat has not been convicted in relation to a child abuse matter.
He also threatened to sue people complaining about him, the girl's parents and threatened legal action against then Bishop Magee but the inquiry branded this a bluff.
The commission previously stated failures in the handling of complaints against Fr Ronat rested mainly on Magee and the Monsignor, while at least three priests of the diocese also ignored complaints.
Fr Ronat admitted practising hypnosis during the 1980s as a hobby, but said he only used it on people trying to overcome addictions.
Victims, when interviewed by gardaí, were quizzed on whether he used hypnosis on them. One of them, a 15-year-old girl, suggested he did.
But Bishop Magee denied any knowledge of his using hypnosis at all.
Magee’s resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict in March 2010.