An Garda Síochána repeatedly refused to make any information
available to the Irish Examiner on its two-year investigation into how
gardaí handled allegations of clerical abuse in the Murphy Report.Over the weekend, following the publication of chapter 20, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan confirmed that just one file was sent to the DPP after an investigation by assistant commissioner John O’Mahoney.
The DPP decided not to prosecute.
The previously redacted chapter 20 of the Dublin Archdiocese report revealed an “inappropriate relationship” between gardaí and the Catholic Church and how complaints to gardaí about serial paedophile Fr Patrick McCabe were “stifled” internally.
The investigation, which began in 2011, was looking at the report in its entirety, including both the Dublin and Cloyne investigations.
General queries about the Cloyne leg of the probe were first put into the Garda Press Office in late May but no response to a series of questions was forthcoming for another month, despite follow-up phonecalls.
Despite being aware from sources that a file relating to at least one now retired senior garda had been returned from the DPP without a recommendation for prosecution, these questions were ignored by gardaí.
Questions about how many individuals, in ecclesiastical and State authorities, were investigated were not answered. Neither were questions on how many gardaí, and of what rank, were under probe.
Last night, another request for detail about how many individuals were recommended for prosecution by the gardaí in the file that went to the DPP was sent by the Irish Examiner.
In response, we were told: “A file was forwarded to the DPP, we will not be discussing the contents of files submitted to the DPP.”
Another Garda statement read: “It is a matter of regret that people did not receive the appropriate attention and action from the Garda Síochána to which they were entitled. The policies and structures now in place are very much victim-focused.”
The Murphy Report showed how the boy who made the first complaint against McCabe in 1977 returned to his school years later to recount how he had been affected by the abuse and seeking compensation.
However, a complaint of blackmail by the victim was made by the then headmaster to gardaí and telephone taps were put in place by the gardaí with “scurrilous” comments on his character included in the Garda file. This case was known of by the then commissioner and gardaí recommended prosecution to the DPP’s office. The DPP refused.
Chapter 20 of the report also reveals how in Aug 1986, a complaint was made to a Garda station after a young boy was abused and had to attend the Rotunda Sexual Assault Unit.
The commission describes how “a very good statement” was taken from the boy that night by a garda and how it contained much information that could be independently verified.
However, the probe was suddenly stopped after the Church was informed and a call looking for advice was made to the DPP’s office. The priest had admitted previous abuse to the boy’s father yet a Garda statement was never requested from the boy’s parents.
At the same time, Fr McCabe had made “certain limited admissions” to a friend of his, Chief Supt Joe McGovern, whose house he was renting, about this particular complaint.
However, Mr McGovern did not pass these on to gardaí, saying he believed it was “an issue for the Church to deal with” and that it would be “meddling” and “not appropriate” to tell the gardaí.
An advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse said it is “vital ” that gardaí accused in the Murphy Report are “held to account”.
Executive director of the Rape Crisis Network, Fiona Neary, said the “general public and other victims of abuse won’t have confidence in the system if they see gardaí getting not following up complaints and then victimising legitimate complainants”.