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	Controversial Donegal Priest to Be Released Derry Journal December 5, 2008 http://www.derryjournal.com/inishowen/Controversial-Donegal-priest-to-be.4766610.jp A Donegal priest at the centre of one of the most high profile paedophile controversies in recent years, Fr. Eugene Green, is expected to be released from jail tomorrow. The west Donegal native's possible return to his home place is also causing considerable disquiet in the area. Fr. Green abused boys over a span of three decades and was jailed in 2000. Director of One in Four, a registered charity which provides support and resources to people who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual violence, Maeve Lewis, said the church had a responsibility to ensure that children in the community were not put at risk. She questioned who would be monitoring the whereabouts of Father Greene on his release. She said: "Will he have access to children? How is he going to be monitored? We all know that the unpalatable truth is that sexual abuse takes place in secrecy." She added that regardless of a sex offender's age they tended to go on abusing. Deputy editor of the 'Irish Catholic,' Michael Kelly said: "The priest has to live somewhere. He has committed dreadful crimes and to the best of my knowledge he has not tried to rehabilitate himself. There is an onus on the community to look after him as a christian community." He asked that there be transparency among the clergy in Donegal whilst dealing with this issue. He said: "The clergy should be one hundred per cent transparent on this. It is a lack of transparency in the past that has led to this." He added that Father Greene has a genuine need for forgiveness and that in the true spirit of christianity people should turn the other cheek. He said: "The easy option would be to be very right wing. However, at the end of the day, you have an elderly man who although he did despicable things needs to be provided for. It is part of the paradox of Christianity. It is rather radical Christianity." A Donegal priest, who wishes not to be named, disagreed profusely with the statement by Mr kelly. He said: "My opinion is that the community can only forgive if there is an acceptance by him, on the exploits of the past, and he acknowledges the damage that he has caused to so many people. It is only then that the community can move towards forgiveness."
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