IRELAND
RTE News
13 February 2006 13:27
The leader of the country's Catholic priests has urged his Church's authorities to consider leaving some priests in parish work while they are under investigation for sexual misconduct.
Fr John Littleton, President of theAbuse Tracker Conference of Priests of Ireland, was responding to a call by the co-ordinator of Galway's novena, Fr Tony Flannery, for an end of the sidelining of accused priests who pose no risk to children.
Fr Flannery was critical of the practice of immediately removing priests from their parish once an allegation of child sex abuse is made, irrespective of its seriousness or authenticity.