THE reputation of the former Bishop of Cloyne is expected to be
"utterly destroyed" when a report into clerical sex abuse in his diocese
is published today.
The Irish Independent
has learned that Dr John Magee will be lambasted for allowing free
reign to a monsignor who was in charge of securing safeguards against
child abuse.
A source with access to the report said: "Magee is
responsible for giving free reign to Monsignor Denis O'Callaghan, who
was in charge of safeguards against child abuse in the diocese."
The
report follows a two-year investigation by Circuit Court Judge Yvonne
Murphy into allegations of child abuse against 19 clerics in the diocese
between 1996 and 2009.
Monsignor O'Callaghan, like Bishop Magee,
was never accused of child abuse, but criticised for failing to prevent
it or not diligently pursing allegations of it.
Sources also said the report will show a "breathtaking level of indifference" to child protection by the church and State.
It
will be worse than the report into the Ferns diocese, because none of
the lessons were learnt from the clerical sex abuse crisis in the
Wexford area.
"The story has not changed, red flags were ignored
by both the church and the state authorities," said one legal source who
added that the report will demonstrate a major clash between canon and
civil law.
"The Government still cannot reach into the jurisdiction of the church."
Response
One
minister, who did not want to be identified, said the behaviour of the
bishop and the administration of his diocese was "as bad as anything in
any other report into clerical child abuse".
The Government's immediate response to the report will be the publication, on Friday, of the new 'Children's First Guidelines'.
The
guidelines will be placed on a statutory footing in a bid to restore
confidence in the State's handling of sexual abuse of children by
clerics.
The latest inquiry into the diocese of Cloyne was ordered
after the church's own abuse watchdog found that Bishop Magee took
minimal action when two of his priests were accused of abusing children.
The
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church also
said that the little action that Bishop Magee took was inappropriately
delayed.
Bishop Magee apologised to victims when that inquiry's report were first published in December 2008.
Another audit commissioned by the Department of Health
and published in January 2009 reported that the bishop failed to tell
the authorities that one of his priests was suspected of child abuse.
The
administration of the diocese was taken over by the Archbishop of
Cashel and Emly, Dermot Clifford, before Bishop Magee formally resigned.
He
has not been seen for weeks at the church property in Mitchelstown, Co
Cork, to which he retired last year.
The house, just metres from the
town's CBS secondary school, has dominating views over the busy market
town.
"The last I heard was that he was supposed to be overseas. But you don't really see him around much," said a local.
Last
night sources close to the church indicated that Bishop Magee, a
secretary to three Popes before his appointment as Bishop of Cloyne in
1987, was thought to be out of Ireland.
Victims
will have an opportunity to study Judge Murphy's findings and
recommendations for several hours before the media is briefed on the
400-page document just after lunchtime today.
One entire chapter
has been edited out of the report on the directions of the High Court
because of ongoing criminal proceedings against a single cleric.
In response to today's publication of the Cloyne report, the Health Service Executive has set up a dedicated helpdesk for people who suffered clerical child sexual abuse.
Its freephone number, 1800 742800, will "go live" at 3pm today until midnight, and daily then from 8am to midnight.