IRELAND
TheRealityCheck.org
by Jim Kouri, CPP
A disturbing report released in Ireland this week details a far-reaching pattern of sexual abuse by Catholic priests that goes back over 30 years.
The amazingly detailed report, submitted by a former Irish judge, goes far beyond just the priests and a couple of Catholic bishops in Ireland. It also blasts the Irish police officers who allegedly didn't investigate the abuse complaints or conducted sloppy investigations. It also depicted a pattern of abuse going back to 1966 with over a hundred allegations made against over 20 Catholic clergymen in just one Diocese alone.
Mismanagement by bishops included transferring priests to other Dioceses and not demanding accused priests to undergo psychological treatment. According to news reports in Ireland, one of the suspected child abusers actually received a promotion to college principal
Unlike the United States Catholic priests identified as child molesters and abusers, the majority of Irish priests are accused of sexually assaulting girls. Most of the US cases involved priests with pubescent or prepubescent boys. Experts contacted could not offer theories as to why the majority of the Irish sex abuse cases are heterosexual, while the majority of US cases are homosexual.
There are also allegations that police officers were told to cover-up complaints against clerics by their commanding officers. The report also details incidents where files simply disappeared.