NORTHERN IRELAND
News Letter
By Philip Bradfield
Friday 23rd December 2005
The PSNI and social services are considering a Northern Ireland public inquiry in the wake of the Ferns Report into clerical child abuse in the Republic.
Two months ago, an Irish government inquiry into abuse in the Co Wexford diocese of Ferns uncovered over 100 allegations of sexual abuse by 21 priests between 1966-2002 and strongly criticised the failings of bishops and gardai.
The fact that Northern Ireland authorities are now considering a similar inquiry was revealed following a recent Parliamentary Question by Upper Bann DUP MP David Simpson.
He asked how many allegations of Roman Catholic clerical child abuse the PSNI and Department of Education had on record, but was told police had no central records and the department did not collect the information.
Posted by kshaw at December 23, 2005 08:20 AM