Church Watchdog for Child Protection Praises Dublin Archdiocese As Case Reviews Are Published

By Adam Cullen
Irish Mirror
May 12, 2014

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/church-watchdog-child-protection-praises-3531976

The Catholic Church's watchdog for child protection has said that the Archdiocese of Dublin is to be commended on turning around a 'shocking and grievous situation'.

A review published today by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCCI) has found that in the past year three priests in the Archdiocese have been the subject of allegations of child sexual abuse.

This brings the number of claims of sexual abuse to 400 reported against 101 priests over the past 38 years in the Dublin Archdiocese.

The report found that the Archdiocese acted to significantly restrict or terminate the ministries of 27 out of 40 local priests or former priests over the past decade.

The NBSCCCI examined current practises of the child protection process as well as scrutinising how reports of abuse were dealt with as far back as the mid-1970s.

The extensive review of four dioceses and five other church bodies based its audits on an inspection of church records and how complaints were dealt with as well as interviewing key personal from both inside and outside of the church.

To date 12 priests or former priests have been convicted in criminal courts, 236 civil actions have been taken against 51 priests and former priests of the diocese of which 187 have concluded and 49 are continuing.

So far the cost to the church in settlement claims is a ˆ20.4million of which ˆ14 million was paid in settlements to and 6.4 million paid in legal fees.