BishopAccountability.org
	VOTF Releases Statement on Irish Audit Voice of the Faithful December 3, 2011 http://votf.org/vineyard/Dec2_2011/index.html For 36 years, leaders of six Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland not only mishandled clergy sexual abuse and were not held accountable for abetting abuse, but also failed to establish reviews totally independent of Church influence, according to VOTF's reading of reports by Ireland's National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church released Nov. 30. Despite what auditors considered "marked improvement" of child protection practices in these diocese, they also turned up past significant errors in judgment by bishops; protection of priest perpetrators rather than child victims; lack of plans to safeguard children; mismanagement of allegations, including allegations not being referred promptly to state agencies; transfer of priests to cover-up abuse; and the use of clergy appointed by bishops as "designated officers" to whom abuse concerns are reported, which calls into question whether they can make judgments independent of Church hierarchy.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.