IRELAND
IOL
October 26 2005 at 03:07AM
Dublin - The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland covered up the sexual abuse of young people by priests over several decades in one diocese, a state probe concluded.
A 270-page report published on Tuesday details the Church's handling of 100 allegations of abuse against 21 priests dating back to the mid-1960s.
Among the allegations are accusations of rape.
"The revelations make for very uncomfortable reading. The pages retelling the pain experienced by those who have suffered, are especially heartbreaking," the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, Sean Brady, said.
'The betrayal of trust is horrendous'
"I apologise to all those people who have suffered lasting hurt at the hands of abusers in the Church. The betrayal of trust is horrendous."