A FORMER Garda detective has described Bishop of Raphoe Philip Boyce’s claims that the diocese has no allegation on file about convicted paedophile priest Eugene Greene as "pathetic".
Now retired, Martin Ridge investigated Greene and was one of the key players in bringing the priest to justice in 2000.
Greene was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to 41 charges of abuse against 26 boys between 1965 and 1982. He had originally faced 100 charges.
Speaking on Highland Radio yesterday, Bishop Boyce said there was no allegations against Greene on file.
"I went through all the files and found no allegations against Fr Eugene Greene. I spoke to my predecessor, Bishop Hegarty and he assured me that the same thing was true in his case."
"At the time of the trial in 1998, a father of one of the boys said that he had written to the parish priest in the late 70s, but this was the first time we had heard of the letter and we could find no trace of it," he said.
Mr Ridge said this was "pathetic" and "not credible".
"It’s not credible to believe that there are no records on file about Eugene Greene. There has to be records on file because Eugene Greene got permission from the Bishop’s office to leave his parish in either 1976 or 1977 to go a treatment centre after an allegation of child sexual abuse was made against him to his parish priest.
"The parish priest in question visited the home of the family of the child. Indeed Eugene Greene himself wrote to the family concerned apologising for his transgression without stating what he had done," he said.
Mr Ridge said the Garda had received "no co-operation" during its investigation of Greene, who "left carnage behind him".
"What was most horrific is that he abused two more boys from the same family and none of them knew that the other was being abused. It was basically horror because all this abuse was being done around silence and secrecy. It was unbelievable what we came across," he said.
The former detective said a full inquiry into the Diocese of Raphoe was required to provide closure for the victims.
"It is extraordinary that we now have to find that there is no records here. This is blaring out for a full inquiry similar to what happened in Cloyne, for the Church’s sake, for the victims sake and for their families sake."
"I’m saying there was knowledge and I believe there are priests out there, whether they are serving, or not serving who have knowledge of what happened in this diocese. There had to have been knowledge," he said.
Speaking on Highland Radio yesterday, Bishop Boyce said there was no allegations against Greene on file.
"I went through all the files and found no allegations against Fr Eugene Greene. I spoke to my predecessor, Bishop Hegarty and he assured me that the same thing was true in his case."
"At the time of the trial in 1998, a father of one of the boys said that he had written to the parish priest in the late 70s, but this was the first time we had heard of the letter and we could find no trace of it," he said.
Mr Ridge said this was "pathetic" and "not credible".
"It’s not credible to believe that there are no records on file about Eugene Greene. There has to be records on file because Eugene Greene got permission from the Bishop’s office to leave his parish in either 1976 or 1977 to go a treatment centre after an allegation of child sexual abuse was made against him to his parish priest.
"The parish priest in question visited the home of the family of the child. Indeed Eugene Greene himself wrote to the family concerned apologising for his transgression without stating what he had done," he said.
Mr Ridge said the Garda had received "no co-operation" during its investigation of Greene, who "left carnage behind him".
"What was most horrific is that he abused two more boys from the same family and none of them knew that the other was being abused. It was basically horror because all this abuse was being done around silence and secrecy. It was unbelievable what we came across," he said.
The former detective said a full inquiry into the Diocese of Raphoe was required to provide closure for the victims.
"It is extraordinary that we now have to find that there is no records here. This is blaring out for a full inquiry similar to what happened in Cloyne, for the Church’s sake, for the victims sake and for their families sake."
"I’m saying there was knowledge and I believe there are priests out there, whether they are serving, or not serving who have knowledge of what happened in this diocese. There had to have been knowledge," he said.