Irish Catholic Church Pays Damages to Abuse Victim, AFP, June 15, 2010

Irish Catholic Church "Pays Damages to Abuse Victim"

AFP
June 15, 2010

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jDZ1pYAqXmaBCs0u7siukMmtEx_w

The out-of-court settlement to the woman, who now lives in Canada, was made without admission of liability

Ireland's Roman Catholic Church has paid more than 250,000 euros (305,000 dollars) in damages to a female victim of a notorious paedophile priest, RTE state radio reported Tuesday.

The out-of-court settlement to the woman, who now lives in Canada, was made without admission of liability. Her case had been due to go to a hearing in Ireland's High Court.

RTE said Marie McCormack sued Ireland's top churchman Cardinal Sean Brady in his personal and official capacities, the diocese of Kilmore and the Norbertine Order to which notorious priest Brendan Smyth belonged.

"In her sworn affidavit, she accused Cardinal Brady of failing to tell the gardai (Irish police) that the Church had received formal signed complaints against Smyth of sexual assault and paedophilia on two boys."

When he was a priest in 1975, Brady had helped to investigate the allegations and had sworn the boys to secrecy about them.

RTE says the woman accused Brady of failing to take any adequate steps to ensure that Smyth did not sexually assault her and other children, despite knowing about the complaints by the two male victims.

After Brady's involvement in the Church probe into Smyth became public in March he apologized "to anyone who has been hurt by any failure on my part".

Despite calls for his resignation from victim groups Brady said last month he would not step down as he wanted to "help sow the seeds for a genuine healing and renewal in the Church".

An opinion poll last week found that 76 percent of Irish people believe Brady should resign.