Bishop of Clonfert Responds to Latest Claims

Galway News
October 8, 2012

http://www.galwaynews.ie/28169-bishop-clonfert-responds-latest-claims

The Bishop of Clonfert says a newspaper claim that he was aware a priest had abused children after he moved him to another parish is "incorrect".

The Irish Times reported that John Kirby has been aware since the mid-1990s that a priest he moved following allegations of child sex abuse continued to abuse children in his new parish.

In a statement issued this afternoon Bishop Kirby says the claim that he had knowledge or suspicion that ‘Priest A’ continued to abuse children subsequent to his learning of his conduct in October 1990, is incorrect.

He adds that he was not aware of an acknowledgement by ‘Priest A’ that he abused any child subsequent to October 1990, the date when he first learned of his sexual abuse of a child.

He concludes that he regrets this could serve to exacerbate the hurt which his earlier widely publicised remarks have caused to victims of child sexual abuse and to their families.

The complete records of the diocese were made available to the National Board as part of its review.

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