The Journal
May 24, 2011
http://www.thejournal.ie/catholic-church-faces-new-scandal-over-reports-of-abuse-by-african-missionaries-142576-May2011/
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THE IRISH MISSIONARY Union (IMU) has said there are undoubtedly more cases of child sex abuse by missionaries working abroad following allegations made on a television programme last night that missionaries raped and abused young children and teenagers while working in Africa over the past 30 years.
Last night's Prime Time Investigates: 'A Mission to Prey' shown on RTÉ television exposed what it claimed was a series of allegations against Irish priests working in countries such as Kenya and South Africa.
The programme exposed details of the now deceased Belfast priest Fr James McAuley, who worked in Cape Town, South Africa, and was accused of at least three specific charges of abuse including the rape of a Sudanese refugee whose family had been killed.
Allegations were also made against Fr Kevin Reynolds that he fathered a daughter after raping a Kenyan girl. Another allegation was made against Fr Gerry Geraghty who is alleged to have abused children in Kenya as recently as five years ago.
The IMU condemned the actions of priests who abused in a statement yesterday and speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning IMU executive secretary Father Eamon Aylward said:
There are undoubtedly more cases out there but people are innocent until proven guilty.
We can't say anything until a proper investigation has been done.
But I'd be a fool to say there are no more cases out there.
Father Aylward said he understood that the allegations made in last night's programme are being investigated and said he intends to follow the matter up with the RTÉ reporter who made the programme.
He said the IMU will intensify programmes and strategies around safeguarding for missionaries who are working abroad but said the matter was made difficult by the decline in the number of priests working abroad.
He also said that the programme would had been difficult for the "99.9 per cent" of missionaries who have worked abroad and made a "massive contribution" to the areas they have worked in.
He said they had been undermined by the alleged actions of the missionaries who featured in last night's programme.
The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference was not immediately available for comment on last night's programme when contacted this morning.
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