A BATCH of new files for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is
being prepared by a special garda team investigating complaints of
sexual or physical assaults on children by members of religious orders.
The
move follows inquiries carried out by detectives around the country and
in the UK as they pursued fresh lines of investigation.
Almost 100 new cases of abuse were reported to the team.
Most
of the complaints were lodged after gardai set up a telephone hotline
following the publication of the Ryan Report in May 2009.
It emerged that a total of 181 calls were made to the hotline.
These
resulted in 60 new complaints of sexual abuse by clerics and a further
33 allegations concerning sexual and physical assaults.
Following a
detailed probe by officers from the national bureau of criminal
investigation, an initial 12 files were sent to the DPP to determine
whether criminal charges should be brought.
The DPP has so far ruled against any charges in eight of the files and is still considering the other four.
A further four files are being compiled and are nearing completion.
Gardai
pointed out that the time lapse between the alleged assaults and the
lodging of the complaints was a major factor in reaching a conclusion on
criminal charges.
Publication
However, some cases investigated by gardai prior to the publication of the Ryan report did result in the conviction of abusers.
All inquiries into allegations and complaints of abuse are now being overseen by a new sexual crime management unit.
The
unit evaluates investigations into child sexual abuse, child neglect
and other sexual offences to ensure they are being dealt with properly
and brought to a prompt conclusion.
The team, which is part of the
existing domestic violence and sexual assault investigation unit, is
also focusing on assisting and training gardai in carrying out inquiries
into abuse.
It has also been tasked with maintaining a record of
all complaints of clerical sexual abuse and interacting with agencies
that are in a position to report complaints to gardai.
Gardai and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have also prepared guidance manuals on how their members should approach a crime with a cross-border dimension.
The manuals are intended for use in all crimes and cover the sharing of intelligence and information between forces.