Historical Abuse Inquiry: Fr Brendan Smyth "Could Have Abused Hundreds of Children"

BBC News
June 22, 2015

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-33223162

The Historical Abuse Inquiry has begun an examination on the activities of Fr Brendan Smyth

A public inquiry has been told that a paedophile priest admitted he may have sexually abused hundreds of children.

Northern Ireland's Historical Abuse Inquiry has begun an examination on the activities of Fr Brendan Smyth.

Smyth was at the centre of one of the first paedophile priest scandals to rock the Catholic church in Ireland.

The inquiry heard he told a doctor in 1994 that "Over the years of religious life, it could be that I've sexually abused between 50 and 100 children.

"That number could have been doubled, or perhaps even more."

Disgrace

Smyth was convicted of 117 indecent assaults against 41 children across Ireland.

He died in prison in 1997 after a heart attack.

The wide-ranging inquiry is conducting a week-long focus on how Smyth got away with his crimes, many carried out in a number of former children's residential homes, for so long.

It was told on Monday that Smyth abused children in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and also faced allegations of similar abuse in Scotland, Wales and the United States.

Junior counsel Joseph Aiken told the inquiry that the "Roman Catholic church in Ireland can only look back on all this with shame and in disgrace".

The retired Cardinal Sean Brady will give evidence later this week on his involvement in a church examination of Fr Smyth in 1975.

Mr Aiken said the inquiry will examine if there were "missed opportunities" to stop Smyth's abusing.