18 Allegations of Sexual Abuse against 10 Priests in Kildare and Leighlin

By Louise Hogan
Irish Independent
September 5, 2012

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/18-allegations-of-sexual-abuse-against-10-priests-in-kildare-and-leighlin-3220978.html

Eighteen allegations of sexual abuse have been made against 10 priests in the Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin over the past 37-years, a report revealed today.

The review by the church's child safety watchdog, the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC), issued 12 recommendations to make child safety structures "more robust".

The report stated it was "regrettable" that not all of the suggestions about actions to improve child safeguarding outlined in a report in July 2006 had not been followed up by the time of the review.

Monsignor Brendan Byrne, Diocesan administrator, said work was underway on fulfilling the recommendations as soon as possible including the appointment of a lay person as a designated person on the child safeguarding team.

The report found there was a "sense of disconnection" in the safeguarding network which could be due to the diocese having had "relatively few cases to deal with".

Msgr Byrne said he wished to "reaffirm the commitment of our diocese to be fully accountable to the highest safeguarding standards".

The 18 allegations were made against 10 priests between January 1975 to May 2012. These involved eight deceased priests and two living priests, who are out of ministry.

There has only been one conviction of a priest of having committed an offence against a young person since 1975.

In March 2009, former parish priest Fr Peter Cribben, in Newbridge and Rhode, Co Offaly, was given a three year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of indecent assault on a 14-year-old schoolboy.

A civil case was settled, with the diocese contributing €175,000, or €226,659 including legal fees.

In another case a priest was facing very serious criminal charges before the courts when he died in 2002. The diocese contributed €133,835 in a civil case.

The diocese confirmed there are no further civil cases pending.

The report stated the two living priests about whom allegations were made - including Fr Cribben and the priest who was not subject to a criminal charge - were out of ministry and receiving diocesan support and both gardai and health services were also informed.

Msgr Byrne said he was "mindful once again of the stories of people who have suffered great pain".

The report does not cover priests from other religious orders in the diocese.