Abuse survivor Andrew Madden said last night the latest revelations
about Tony Walsh were just another example of how the Catholic Church
has covered up abuse.
"What's shocking here is that so many
children were sexually abused after the first allegations about Tony
Walsh came to light in 1978. And yet he was free to continue sexually
abusing children," Mr Madden said.
He added that there was nothing positive that could be taken from the report.
"It's
a further reminder of what happens when the welfare of an organisation
and the avoidance of scandal is a higher priority than the welfare of
children," Mr Madden said.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said it
hoped the chapter of the Murphy Report concerning Walsh was a part of
Irish history that was in the past.
Chief executive Ellen O'Malley Dunlop said abuse victims had suffered years of torment until they eventually got justice.
"The
victims and their families stayed the course and some endured more than
15 years waiting to get justice in the criminal justice system. Today
we can read the full truth of the extent of the sexual abuse of children
by Tony Walsh and the cover-up and the delays that further traumatised
the victims and their families," she said.
The centre urged anyone affected by yesterday's revelations to contact its 24-hour national helpline on 1800 77 88 88.
Meanwhile,
it has emerged that Catholic organisations have only paid a small
fraction of the money they pledged to the State last year to help
compensate the victims of clerical sexual abuse.
Just €20m has
been paid out of a total €348m pledged following the publication of the
Ryan Report.
None of the property that was included in the agreement has
been handed over.
In addition, €26m is still outstanding from a
€128m deal that Catholic organisations struck with the State in 2002,
which granted them indemnity from having to pay further sums for the
compensation of abuse victims.
The figures come from a parliamentary question submitted by the Labour Party's education spokesman Ruairi Quinn.
He
said the delay would hinder support for people who had suffered so
horribly at the hands of members of the religious orders and that the
public would be disappointed and angered at the slow pace of the
payments.
"I hope that it does not represent an attempt by the
Religious Congregations to renege on the agreement and the Government
must now insist the pace of payments and transfers is accelerated,
particularly given the horrendous economic problems we are facing."
SIC: II/IE