Cork Report into Clerical Child Abuse Within the Church Will Be Published, by Cathy Hayes, Irish Central, April 9, 2011

Cork Report into Clerical Child Abuse Within the Church Will Be Published

By Cathy Hayes
Irish Central
April 9, 2011

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Cork-report-into-clerical-child-abuse-within-the-Church-will-be-published-119529164.html

The President of the High Court has ordered that most of the Cloyne report on clerical sexual abuse in the dioceses be published, according to RTE.

Cloyne, which includes Cork City, was administered by Bishop John Magee who was secretary to three popes. He was named Bishop of Cloyne in 1987 before he stepped aside in 2010 because of the abuse allegations against priests in his diocese.

Justice Nicholas Kearns has prohibited the publication until mid-July so as not to prejudice an ongoing trial. Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, applied to the court to rule that part of the report not be published so as not to prejudice criminals proceeding which are ongoing.

The report into how the diocese of Cloyne handled the abuse scandal within the church. The 26-chapter report carried out by the Commission of Investigation, hold allegations against 19 priests. It was commissioned by the Government in January 2009 and completed last December.

The portion which will not be published, mainly Chapter 9, can be published after the court case is concluded.

Shatter said that he has made arrangements with the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, for the publication of the report as soon as possible.

Survivor support group One in Four said that the decision has come as a relief to those who were sexually abused in the diocese. Director Maeve Lewis said they regretted the postponement of the publication of Chapter 9 but accepts that it is necessary for the time being.

This report followed a damning report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children. The board found that children protection in the Cloyne were inadequate and dangerous.

Judge Yvonne Murphy's report deals with allegations against 19 priests over a 13-year period. Some of the abuse dates back as far as the 1970s.