"Culture of Secrecy" Allowed Evil Men to Continue Preying on Vulnerable

By Colm Kelpie
Irish Independent
September 6, 2012

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/culture-of-secrecy-allowed-evil-men-to-continue-preying-on-vulnerable-3221632.html

SERIAL abusers went undetected and unchecked with one religious congregation maintaining a "culture of secrecy", audits of three orders found.

It is the first time that religious congregations have been audited by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSC), with some of the most scathing criticisms reserved for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

The Catholic Church's child protection watchdog focused on three congregations -- the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC); the Irish Province of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (the Spiritans) and the Dominican Friars.

The NBSC stated that its leadership not only failed to pass allegations to the gardai and health chiefs, but also maintained an air of secrecy within their own community.

"It is difficult to express adequately the failure of this society (MSC) to effectively protect vulnerable children," the audit said.

"In the assessment of the NBSC, it could have been prevented.

"This worked very much in favour of those who had caused harm to children and wanted to continue to prey upon them."

The audit found the practice to be "deeply flawed".

Seventeen alleged perpetrators are known to the society, nine of whom made admissions to varying degrees. One has since died and three others have left. None remain in ministry. Six of those worked within a boarding school, with three there for several years.

The audit said the number of victims is not known but is growing.

The audit found from an initial reading of the society's files that one priest had made admissions and named a number of boys he had harmed, but this were never passed to the gardai.

The full extent of this knowledge was not given to gardai before August last year.

It also pointed out that the response of the society to victims was "uncaring and aggressive", with one being threatened with legal action.

It was noted in files that the abuse caused victims to self harm and in one case, where a victim took his own life, it was claimed abuse was a contributory factor if not the main cause.

Fr Joseph McGee, MSC Provincial, said they "deeply regret" their failures.

Some 142 allegations have been made to gardai involving 47 members of the Spiritans since January 1975.

Some 290 Spiritans belong to Irish province -- 95 are aboard, 45 are in ministry in Ireland and 150 are retired.

Inexcusable

"The case files make very sad reading. There is evidence that there were serial abusers who worked in school communities in Ireland," the audit found."

The audit into the Spiritans found that in one case a now deceased priest named only as 'Father A' abused 28 children between 1968 and 1993, but he was not removed from ministry until 1996.

Outgoing Spiritans Provincial Fr Brian Starken said what happened to the victims was "inexcusable".

"As a religious Congregation we are filled with shame but our shame cannot compare with the immense suffering and hurt experienced by victims."

The watchdog found 52 allegations have been reported to the gardai and the Health Service Executive concerning the Dominicans since January 1975. Some 15 friars are now dead, four are out of ministry but still in the order and two have been convicted