June 23, 2005

Whistleblower priest in sex abuse case was ‘crushed’

IRELAND
One in Four

by James McNamara of The Sun

A priest last night told how his life was destroyed after he blew the whistle on clerical sex abuse.

Father Gerald McGinnity was sacked from his position as senior dean at St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, and frozen out of the church after reporting Monsignor Michael Ledwith for assaulting students.

He finally received an apology from Primate of all Ireland Archbishop Sean Brady this week – 20 years after exposing the scandal.

Fr McGinnity said: “Because I acted honourably and in conscience to protect the young people, I lost everything.”

“I was not only deprived of my reputation and respectability, I was left to languish for 20 years in the wilderness. I was crushed.”

Posted by kshaw at June 23, 2005 11:48 AM