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	Suppression of Crimes against Children Completely Unfathomable - Cummins Waterford Today August 4, 2011 http://www.waterford-today.ie/waterford-today-news/13578-suppression-of-crimes-against-children-completely-unfathomable-cummins-13578.html Speaking on the report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Fine Gael Seanad Leader, Maurice Cummins, said the manner in which senior members of the Church could have reconciled their consciences with their stealthy suppression of such awful acts against innocent children is impossible to understand. "The perpetrators of the abuse robbed these children of their innocence and of that entitlement. The Church, as an institution, further abused and denied them their dignity when it ignored and covered up their complaints. We saw in Cloyne, and not for the first time, the obstruction and obfuscation on the part of the diocesan authorities in dealing with complaints of clerical sexual abuse and long delays in taking clearly unsuitable priests out of ministry. "The careful, conclusive and detailed investigation by Judge Yvonne Murphy and the Commission is to be commended. But essentially, this Report is the victims' vindication. "We owe those who came forward a very deep debt of gratitude and a huge respect for their courageous cooperation with the Commission. In breaking their silence and bringing this shameful behaviour into the public domain, they have once again reminded us of the pressing need to tackle this kind of crime once and for all. "Child abuse is, and always has been, a criminal offence. And where the Church has failed to deal with it as such, the State will fulfil its obligation to keep its children safe. I am proud to be a member of a Government party that has shown decisive leadership and has taken swift action in this matter. As Minister Shatter pointed out last week, 'the time for words alone and political rhetoric is long since gone'. "The appropriate authorities to deal with abusers are the Garda Siochana and the courts. No one is above the law of the land. Along with the review of the Cloyne Report by the Gardai to see if any further action can be taken against the abusers referred to in it, I am pleased with the development that the Gardai are also setting up a special telephone line which victims of clerical abuse, or anyone who has information about it, can contact. "Having read and listened to the stories of victims, it is my sense that the greatest help we can give those truly courageous people is to redouble our efforts to ensure that this will not happen again. By establishing the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, placing the revised Children First National Guidelines on a statutory basis and publishing the Heads of a Bill to place the vetting of persons working with children and vulnerable adults on a statutory basis this Government has proved that it is serious about child protection and ensuring a safe and caring Ireland in which our children can grow."
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