IRELAND
The Mayo News
report by Michael Duffy
A well-known Mayo priest and writer said last night that the only way the entire facts about sexual abuse involving priests can be established is to have a national audit carried out by the Government.
Fr Kevin Hegarty, a former editor of the pastoral and liturgical magazine, Intercom, was making his comments after the publication of the Ferns Report last week and the revelation that two priests from the Tuam diocese are currently under Garda investigations for rape and sexual assault.
“Ferns priests received similar formation to other Irish priests and Ferns is not a place in some distant land. Only a national audit, conducted independently with the full powers of investigation, appointed by the Government, can establish the facts,” stated Fr Hegarty.
The shocking statistics revealed at the weekend by the offices of the Archdiocese of Tuam show that allegations of sexual abuse have been made against 27 priests – six more than the Ferns diocese, which released its full and frank report last week. It is also the largest number of allegations outside of the Dublin diocese, where the Government are set to launch an inquiry in the coming weeks.
Fr Hegarty added that the awful revelations of the last seven days had done further damage to the people/priest relationship that had already suffered so much during the last decade.