Ex-Bishop Criticised over Claims

Belfast Telegraph
April 24, 2013

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/exbishop-criticised-over-claims-29219500.html

Bishop Joseph Duffy has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour of priests

A former bishop has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour of priests.

A watchdog review of the Diocese of Clogher, which straddles the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, found opportunities to prevent attacks in the past were consistently missed when concerns were raised.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland said, however, that a line should be drawn between how the diocese used to do its business and the rules in place. Bishop Joseph Duffy led the diocese for about 30 years until his retirement in 2010.

The report into Clogher is one of seven being released by the watchdog.

Ian Elliot, head of the Catholic church watchdog, noted an "unacceptable delay" in removing a priest from ministry after a credible child abuse allegation and another case where a priest suspected of multiple abuse was not removed from ministry but transferred to another parish and eventually sent overseas for therapy.

Ultimately he was extradited back to Ireland but died before he could face trial.

"In a number of cases, allegations emerged against priests following their death making it impossible for any investigation to take place," the report found. "The impression formed by the reviewers of past practice was that the response to abuse concerns was often unsatisfactory and that risky behaviour was not addressed as strongly as it should have been."

Amnesty International reiterated its demand for a state-instituted inquiry into clerical child abuse allegations in Northern Ireland.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director, said: "Church-approved reviews are no substitute for a proper, independent investigation into clerical child sex abuse throughout Northern Ireland.

"The abuse knew no borders and, indeed as we know, in some instances, the abusers were moved across parish and national borders, abusing children as they went."