IRELAND
Irish Voice
By Mairead Carey
Both the church and the state have been slammed for the manner in which they treated children who were sexually abused by priests in the Diocese of Ferns.
In a wide ranging report on the clerical abuse scandal which forced the resignation of former Bishop Brendan Comiskey, horrific accounts have been given of the abuse of children by up to 21 priests in the diocese.
Two former bishops, Comiskey and Donal Herlihy, have been heavily criticized for failing to protect the children, while the Gardai and the South Eastern Health Board have also been damned for failing to investigate the crimes, and for failing to provide support to the victims.
On Tuesday the Bishop of Ferns, Eamon Walsh, who was appointed bishop after the scandal broke in 2002, said that the findings of the official inquiry contained horrific accounts which had shattered trust in the Catholic Church.
“All I can say is that this report has horrific accounts, and even though I’ve been dealing with this for years, when you read such a litany of horrible gross abuse and rape all condensed together it leaves you speechless,” he said.