RTÉ has settled its High Court action against the Broadcasting Complaints Commission over its decision upholding a complaint about the use of a graphic featuring a clerical collar, rosary beads and Bible in relation to a TV news item about the Ferns report into child sexual abuse by Catholic priests. The commission had received a complaint and ruled RTÉ had infringed its own taste and decency regulations by using the graphic in its report on the news on October 25th, 2005, when the Ferns report was published.
John Whelan, Edenbrook Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin, had complained that the use of the images in the montage background amounted to a "profane use of sacramentals" and was offensive.
RTÉ challenged the commission's decision that the graphic was tasteless. On the second day of the action on Wednesday, Paul O'Higgins SC, for RTÉ, told Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy the action had been settled and could be struck out with no order.
It is understood one of the terms of settlement is that RTÉ will not have to broadcast the commission's decision.
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission said it had discussed the example of displaying prayer activity in a mosque or the Koran in a comparable story about Muslims and had decided this would not be tolerated.
It had decided that if the Roman Catholic imagery used in this case was allowed, it would amount to displaying a double standard with respect to religions.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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