A CAR belonging to the diocese of Cloyne’s former child protection delegate was vandalised overnight last weekend. Gardaí in Mallow are investigating the incident, in which slogans were daubed on the car.
Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan stepped down from his child protection role just over 18 months ago in advance of the publication of the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children’s (NBSC) report into the handling of child abuse in the diocese of Cloyne.
The 2008 report found that child protection measures in the diocese were putting young children at risk by failing to report, or delaying the reporting of, abuse allegations to the HSE and Gardaí.
The report’s author described child protection practices in the diocese as "inadequate and in some respects dangerous".
In his book, Putting Hand to the Plough, Monsignor O’Callaghan, a well regarded theologian, wrote about "the blight of child abuse" and how he found his child protection role "stressful". In the chapter on child protection, he described the "pastoral care" approach he took when handling these cases.
Last night one of the clerical abuse victims in the diocese said: "What galls me is that he waited far too long to report abuse allegations to Gardaí and yet he could ring them to report damage to his car immediately."
Victims of abuse in Cloyne last night said they did not support such acts of vandalism but said there is still anger in the diocese at how victims were treated by the Church.
Over the past year several victims who had taken civil cases against the diocese have made settlements for undisclosed sums. At least three more historical cases of alleged clerical sex abuse are with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Early drafts of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation report into the handling of abuse complaints in Cloyne have been drawn up and extracts are being sent to those who gave evidence to the Commission.
On June 25, priests from Cloyne’s 46 parishes have been ordered to attend a conference in east Cork to discuss the fallout from the upcoming Commission of Investigation report.
The report is unlikely to be made public before the autumn.
Archbishop Clifford will address the seminar at the Garryvoe Hotel, as will the child protection delegate, Fr Bill Bermingham.