SNAP Wisconsin
December 5, 2011
http://www.snapwisconsin.com/blog/2011/12/05/raphoe-report-described-as-a-whitewash-to-hide-the-carnage-of-sexual-assault/
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The New York Times reported last week on the results of six investigative audits conducted in Ireland by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. The National Board is sponsored by the church in Ireland, and was charged with investigating the dioceses of Raphoe, Tuam, Derry, Dromore, Kilmore, and Ardagh and Clonmacnois.
The results of this investigation revealed that the children of these six dioceses were not spared the systemic sexual assault that we now know was inflicted on the rest of the nation’s youngsters. The audits found that since 1975 there have been 85 priests accused of 164 sexual assaults in these dioceses. Only 8 of these sexual predators were ever convicted of a crime. The audit found that church officials did not report many of these crimes to the civil authorities, and thereby allowed the offenders continued access to children.
The report examining sexual assault in the diocese of Raphoe found that bishops exhibited “significant errors of judgment”. The report also found that in the case of church officials “judgments were clouded” and “more attention should have been given to ensuring that preventative actions were taken when concerns came to light”. The language that church officials continue to use when describing the rape of innocent children and the failure to stop that rape is remarkable.
Judgments were not “clouded”, rather these were deliberate decisions that were undertaken by those with power and authority in the church. These decisions were made with care and consideration; the well being of the offender and the reputation of the church were regarded as more important than the child who had no power, no authority, and no voice.
Martin Ridge, the detective who investigated the case of pedophile priest Eugene Greene, called the report a “whitewash”. Greene was convicted on 41 charges of raping and assaulting boys from 1962 to 1985. Ridge, who authored the book Breaking the Silence, stated that “It’s basically a whitewash isn’t it, after all the carnage that happened here”. Ridge has called for a full state investigation into the diocese of Raphoe stating that the recently published report was an “insult” to the victims and their families.
Ridge added that in regard to rapist Eugene Greene “it is inconceivable to think that the most notorious serial predator could plunder away around many parishes and that none of his colleagues knew about it or his bosses didn’t know about it…I find it incredible”.
The Irish Independent also reported on the growing pressure for Cardinal Sean Brady, the primate of Ireland, to publicly apologize for his role in the case of one of Ireland’s most prolific child rapists, Fr. Brendan Smyth. Smyth was convicted of sexually assaulting countless numbers of children over a 40 year reign of terror. Smyth was a member of the Norbertine order and was transferred repeatedly between parishes, dioceses, and countries. In 1997 Smyth was convicted on 91 counts of sexually assaulting children. Smyth died in prison after serving only one month of his 12 year sentence.
In 1975 two teenagers came forward to report that they were sexually assaulted by Smyth. Cardinal Brady, a canon lawyer at the time, interviewed the teenagers and made them each sign a secrecy oath vowing them to remain silent about the assault. One of those sworn to secrecy was Brendan Boland. Boland has called on Brady to publicly, not privately, apologize to the community for his role in allowing Smyth to continue to assault children. Boland said he was “devastated” to learn that after he reported his abuse to Brady, and swore an oath to secrecy, Smyth went on to assault children for 20 more years. Boland stated “The guilt that I felt for all the children after me who had been abused, I felt I didn’t do enough then”.
Brendan Boland and his father, after reporting Smyth’s assault, had been told that Smyth would never be allowed to harm children again.
Cardinal Brady should not only publicly apologize for forcing two children to sign a secrecy oath; he should immediately submit his resignation to the Pope.
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