Two sisters who were abused by a former priest have called on the Catholic Church to ensure every diocese in Ireland is proactive in providing opportunities for direct engagement between abuse survivors and church leaders.
Paula and Margaret Martin from County Donegal said a legally-facilitated meeting with Diocese of Raphoe representatives last year was “deeply healing”.
Con Cunningham, then aged 86, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Letterkenny Circuit Court in 2021 after pleading guilty to eight counts of indecent assault in the 1970s.
A spokesperson for the Catholic Church said it is committed to “continuous learning and responding positively” to those who have been hurt.
The Martin sisters were nine and 11 when the abuse started.
They waived their right to anonymity to name Cunningham.
Conviction dealt with ‘one part of pain’
The women had gone to the Church three times over a 25-year period about the…
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