ARCHBISHOP JOHN Charles McQuaid's failure to punish serial child sex abuser Fr Edmondus in the early 1960s was a disaster that "established a pattern of not holding abusers accountable" for decades to follow.He also did not apply canon law properly when dealing with allegations of child sex abuse, even though he was familiar with its requirement, according to the Commission of Investigation Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
Dr McQuaid, who was an extremely influential figure in Ireland as head of the archdiocese of Dublin between 1940 and 1972, dealt personally with several complaints of child sex abuse.
He exercised tight control over who became aware of allegations and his handling of the Fr Edmondus case was "aimed at the avoidance of scandal and showed no concern for the welfare of children", the report says.
It says the Fr Edmondus case holds special significance because it was one of the earliest in the commission's remit.
Fr Edmondus committed a number of sexual assaults on patients aged between eight and 11 years in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children. Dr McQuaid, who was chairman of the board of directors of the hospital, was informed by gardaí that Fr Edmondus had taken sexually explicit photographs of two girls at the hospital.
He referred the case to his auxiliary bishop, Bishop Dunne, who concluded that a crime had been committed under canon law.
Dr McQuaid later reversed this decision, concluding that no crime was committed and the matter should not be referred to Rome, even though Fr Edmondus had admitted to him photographing the children in sexual postures.
"I felt that he clearly understood the nature of the sinful act involved and to send him on retreat would defame him," recorded Dr McQuaid in written notes.
Thirty-six years later, in 1996, Fr Edmondus pleaded guilty to indecent assault perpetrated against Marie Collins, who attended the hospital, and another girl in Wicklow. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and released in May 1998.
The report says the apparent cancellation of the original plan to pursue the priest through the procedures of canon law by Dr McQuaid "was a disaster".
It concludes: "It established a pattern of not holding abusers accountable which lasted for decades."
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