Cloyne abuse report
may be delayed by further review
By Michael Kelly
Irish Catholic
January 20, 2011
http://www.irishcatholic.ie/site/content/cloyne-abuse-report-may-be-delayed-further-review
Judge Yvonne Murphy's report into the handling of clerical abuse
in the Diocese of Cloyne may be further delayed The Irish Catholic
understands.
It is understood that at least one of the parties dealt with in
the report is expected to exercise the right to a judicial review
and ask the High Court to adjudicate on the contents of the report
with particular reference to mentions of one individual in the text.
This is in addition to the expected High Court review requested
by the Minister for Justice.
The commission - originally established to investigate the handling
of allegations of abuse made against priests in Dublin - was extended
to cover the Diocese of Cloyne in 2009.
The decision to extend the remit came after a report by the National
Board for Safeguarding Children found that child safeguarding policies
operated by then Bishop John Magee were inadequate.
Publication
The report is currently being studied by the Attorney General Paul
Gallagher, who will advise on what parts may be published.
It will also be sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,
James Hamilton, to ensure that none of the persons named in the
report is currently facing trial and could have the case against
them prejudiced by publication.
Legislation also provides that the Minister can submit the report
to the High Court for adjudication on whether it should be published
in full or in a redacted form. However, The Irish Catholic now understands
that at least one individual named in the report is to seek a judicial
review into the proposed publication which could considerably delay
the publication of the final report.
The report looks at a representative sample of complaints or allegations
of child sexual abuse made to the diocesan and other Catholic Church
authorities and public and State authorities in the period January
1 1996 to February 1 2009.
Archbishop Dermot Clifford was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as
the administrator of Cloyne in early 2009 and Bishop Magee resigned
a year later having come in for a sustained level of criticism.
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