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	197 New Sex Abuse Claims Made to Catholic Church in a Year Belfast Telegraph May 18, 2010 http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/197-new-sex-abuse-claims-made-to-catholic-church-in-a-year-14811055.html A total of 197 new abuse allegations by adult survivors were reported to the Catholic Church's child protection office from April 1 last year until the end of March 2010. Of these, 87 were made against priests in the 26 dioceses of the Republic and Northern Ireland, while 110 clerics were in religious orders and missionary societies. All allegations were reported to the statutory authorities in the jurisdiction in which they occurred. Eighty-three of the alleged perpetrators are dead, but 114 are still alive. Of those living today, 35 have already been laicised or dismissed from their congregation or orders. A number of these fresh cases were found to be further allegations relating to individuals who were already identified as being a risk to children. According to the National Board for Safeguarding Children’s second annual report, the standard form of disclosure in the Church involves adults talking about experiences they had as children. None of the 197 allegations originated from children or young people. Some went back to events that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, but they were emerging for the first time. Brady not standing down over abuse |crisis, See Page 16\[Lucy Gollogly\]The new allegations involving living perpetrators can be further divided into those that are out of ministry entirely, those who remain in some form of limited ministry and others who are retired. In respect of the 47 allegations reported from the dioceses against living individuals, 24 of these are out of ministry entirely. Ten are still priests but are within some form of limited ministry. Five have been laicised and eight are retired but not active as clerics in any form of ministry. All have been reported to the statutory authorities. Meanwhile, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin last night moved to defuse the row over his claims there were “strong forces” in the church hiding the truth about clerical sex abuse scandals. In what will be seen in many areas of the church as a climbdown, he insisted he was not referring to specific individuals when he controversially spoke out last week. Dr Martin broke his silence after he was challenged to clarify his remarks by the head of the (NBSC). But despite the ensuing public furore, Archbishop Martin last night refused to point the finger of blame at any individual. After a week of sustained criticism from within the church, Dr Martin's spokesperson said he was only referring to “cultural” resistance to change. Archbishop Martin moved to clarify remarks made last Monday after the church's child protection watchdog urged him to come forward with any evidence that parishes, dioceses and some religious orders are not adhering to abuse guidelines. Amongst the Religious, 67 allegations related to individuals who are alive today. Again, all were reported to the statutory authorities in whatever jurisdiction the alleged offences occurred. Five are in limited ministry and 32 are out of ministry entirely. The remaining 30 have been dismissed from their orders or congregations. Of all those in some form of limited ministry, the National Office was provided with information by the relevant Church authority upon which they based their decision to allow the individual to continue in such limited ministry. “Having considered this information, we have accepted that the decision to permit the continuance of a limited form of ministry is valid,” the report said. “In each of these cases, the allegation that caused the removal from full ministry has not been confirmed through any civil or canonical court process.” Mr Elliott said two clear conclusions could be drawn from reading the report. “Firstly, that children should be safer today within the church than they once were. “Secondly, those that seek to harm children should feel much less secure.”
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