IRELAND
Irish Examiner
Ian Elliott, the Catholic church’s own watchdog on child protection measures in Ireland, has detailed the policies now in place to prevent child abuse in several dioceses.
It is part of a nationwide review of each diocese and Religious Order in the wake of a series of damning state inquiries into the extent of paedophilia in the clergy and subsequent cover-ups.
Audits looked at in his third and latest tranche include the dioceses of Ferns, Killala, Elphin, Waterford and the Society of African Missions.
* In Ferns, where in 2005 investigators uncovered decades of abuse and cover-ups, 24 priests have faced allegations since 1975, none are in ministry and three have been convicted.
Mr Elliott noted a sea change compared to how the diocese operated since the report eight years ago, including a complainant-centred approach adopted by clergy and support staff.
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