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	Church Hands Dossier on 47 Priests to PSNI By Alf McCreary Belfast Telegraph [Ieland] March 13, 2006 http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=682394 A dossier containing sexual abuse allegations against 47 priests has been handed over to the PSNI by the Catholic Church, it emerged today. The move was made as the Church unveiled a series of new measures to protect young people from the threat posed by paedophile priests. The dossier of allegations made against 47 priests over the past 40 years was given to both the PSNI and Department of Health. The Catholic Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady, and his fellow bishops in Northern Ireland have also offered to undergo a vetting process to show the Church's commitment to new child protection measures. They are willing to co-operate with the Child Care Unit of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and also the PSNI. This is seen by the bishops as an initiative to encourage clergy and laity in the church to follow suit where necessary. Archbishop Brady today announced other measures, including the appointment shortly of a new Director of Child Protection for the Catholic Church in Northern Ireland, as well as a major inter-agency conference to be held in Belfast to discuss effective care for victims of child abuse. Archbishop Brady said: "We cannot undo the hurt of the past but like all organisations we can put in place measures which will enhance the scope of protection to those placed in our care." As part of a wide-ranging review of clergy between 1965 and 2005, which was unveiled by the Primate today, it is understood the Church outlined allegations of child abuse against 47 members of the clergy to the PSNI and the DHSS. Archbishop Brady said: "Some of these clergy were acquitted, some are now dead, some are in prison, and others are no longer in the ministry." The Church will also prepare a Northern Ireland supplement to the child protection guidelines, Our Children, Our Church. And as part of a new all-Ireland policy, a National Board will audit each diocese annually and publish figures on the number of cases of suspected child abuse by Church personnel.
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