A DEVASTATING report into the failure of the Catholic Church and State authorities to reign in "predatory" priests and serial clerical sex abusers in the Dublin archdiocese will be published at the end of next week.All but one chapter of the shocking report into clerical sex abuse in Ireland's largest diocese, which is set to rock the Catholic Church, will be published by Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.
The 700-page report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation dwarfs the 2005 Ferns report which resulted in that diocese being branded "the worst diocese in the world".
The commission report will detail the Church's handling of known and suspected abusers and will outline the response to allegations by a succession of bishops.
Hierarchy
They include 19 clerics in the Catholic hierarchy, including Cardinal Desmond Connell who last year dropped a court challenge to stop the commission getting access to 5,586 secret Church files.
Seven of the bishops who served in Dublin are dead.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan ruled that all but one chapter of the report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation be published.
Chapter 19 -- and some 21 references to a cleric who is awaiting trial that are peppered throughout the report -- will be temporarily censored in case it prejudices any criminal proceedings relating to the unnamed priest.
Last night, victims of clerical sex abuse expressed their disappointment that the hard hitting report -- which exceeds some 700 pages -- cannot be published in full.
But they accepted that a partial publication of some of the report's contents could jeopardise future criminal trials.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warned earlier this year the long-running inquiry had uncovered thousands of cases of abuse by priests.
Up to 450 people have made abuse allegations against former priests since 1940.
Last night, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern -- who had referred the report to the High Court -- welcomed Judge Gilligan's order.
The report, with the court-ordered redactions, will be published by the end of next week.
"I have always made it clear that I have been anxious to put the report into the public domain as quickly as possible while at the same time not wishing to do anything which would prejudice the chances of any of the people involved in these evil deeds being brought to justice," he said.
Ruling on publication of the report yesterday, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said one chapter relating to a particular cleric was to be excluded from publication at this stage on grounds it may prejudice criminal proceedings against that cleric.
He also directed that some 21 references to the same cleric in other parts of the report should also not be published for now.
He adjourned to May 5 next year the issue of whether or not the excluded parts should be published.
He said his decision allowing publication of the vast bulk of the report was made after considering and balancing the paramount importance of an accused's right to a fair trial, the right of the community to prosecute and the public interest.
Four clerics who are defendants in criminal proceedings "relevant to an act or omission in the report" were notice parties to the hearing and the judge heard submissions on their behalf as well as on behalf of the commission, the minister, the DPP and the Attorney General.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: II