IRELAND
Irish Examiner
Friday, June 07, 2013
The Catholic Church has come under fire on several fronts for not supporting priests against whom false allegations of abuse are made.
By Donal Hickey
Kerry priest Fr Liam O’Brien, who received a High Court apology this week from a woman in her 50s, said that if false allegations had been dealt with properly and promptly, it could have saved him “years of suffering and significant legal costs”.
His solicitor Robert Dore said Fr O’Brien’s civil challenge did “great service” to the body of priests. But Mr Dore said the Killorglin curate, very vulnerable at the time of the allegations, was “deeply, deeply, disappointed” at the lack of support from the Church.
The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) also claimed priests remained an easy target, with a considerable number of false allegations being made against individual clergy. Spokesman Fr Tony Flannery said colleagues were delighted Fr O’Brien’s “long nightmare was over”, but added: “For us in the ACP, this case highlights two matters of great concern: the reality of false allegations against priests and the absence, in most cases including this one, of any real support from Church authorities for a priest who finds himself in this terrible situation.”
Mr Dore said Fr O’Brien found himself in a very vulnerable position and sought the support of his Church.
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