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	More Church Abuse Cases The Straits Times May 17, 2010 http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_527722.html [the report] DUBLIN - THE Irish Catholic Church's child protection watchdog said on Monday it had received 197 new complaints of abuse in the year to March 31 as the country reeled from revelations about clerical abuse scandals. None of the new complaints were made by children or young people and some dated back to events in the 1950s and 1960s, the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) said. Of the allegations, 87 related to dioceses and 110 concerned religious orders and missionary societies. Eighty-three of the alleged perpetrators are dead. The board said that while much of the media coverage surrounding clerical abuse had concentrated on sexual abuse, many of the allegations 'were cases of alleged physical and emotional abuse as well as allegations of sexual abuse.' They followed a year of 'unprecedented trauma' for Catholics, NBSCCC chairman John Morgan said. The findings last year of two ground-breaking inquiries by judges into the once powerful church shocked the mainly Catholic country. They found abuse by Catholic clergy and members of religious orders had been widespread for decades and that there was a culture of secrecy and cover-up designed to protect the reputation and assets of the church. Mr Morgan said there was a need for a church-wide commitment at all levels that would include an 'intense process of reflection around how the heinous nature of the abuse of children in the Irish Catholic Church could have happened. 'It should extend to trying to understand and examine what Church structures brought about the situation that has unfolded before us and how such structures must be changed. Clearly a cultural correction is required in the Irish Church to deal with the problem of abuse,' Mr Morgan said. Chief executive Ian Elliott said a principle that was 'set in stone' for the board was that the 'reputation of the church, the hierarchy, or any member of the clergy comes some way after the safety of the child in any consideration of decisions to be made or actions to be taken.' He said that in some areas of the church there was a 'mistaken belief' that it was possible to continue with past and familiar practices. -- AFP
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