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	'The Denial Must End' One in Four [Ireland] April 23, 2006 http://www.oneinfour.org/news/news2006/die/ Peter McCloskey claimed he was sexually abused by a Limerick priest in the early 1980s. His mother Mary believes Church denial of the truth cost her son his life. Why did Peter McCloskey die? Family and supporters demand the veil of secrecy be lifted by the Catholic Church, convinced it will unlock the truth. Peter had claimed he was abused by Clare-born priest Fr Denis Daly in the 1980s. Fr Daly died in 1987. At the centre of the storm now is the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, whose diocesan legal team imposed strict confidentiality as part of the mediation process Peter entered into on March 30 this year. A spokesperson for Dr Murray this week said Peter's death was "profoundly sad and deeply upsetting for all who knew him". The statement said Dr Murray had been, and would continue to be, available to meet Peter's family, to support them and to discuss concerns they have. Outlining the family's feelings about the tragedy, however, his mother called on Dr Murray to resign. Ms McCloskey spoke of her son's "final battle" with Dr Murray and Limerick diocesan legal representatives. "It was the unbearable weight of the denial of truth that became too much for Peter; that denial must end," she said. In autumn 2002, Peter confided in his mother, claiming he had been sexually abused as a ten-year-old altar boy. Colm O'Gorman, director of One in Four, a registered charity which provides support and resources to people who have experienced sexual abuse, described working with the Limerick man during the past four years. He says he found Peter to be deeply distressed, hurt and troubled – particularly when he encountered "a wall of denial and deceit" when he tried to engage in dialogue. Joseph McCloskey, 39, said his brother was devastated by the mediation process and he felt "something delicate in his mind" had been crushed. On the morning of Peter's death he had told his brother: "Don't worry, you're not on your own; you're not fighting Bishop Donal Murray by yourself; I am fighting him with you." That evening and two days after the mediation process started, Peter died tragically. "What drove Peter more than anything else was to have the truth acknowledged," Mr O'Gorman recalled. Dr Murray became Bishop of Limerick in 1996 – nine years after Fr Daly's death. On investigation, he found no child abuse allegations against the priest in diocesan archives. But inquiries to Sydney archdiocese revealed alcoholism and a reference to a "moral lapse" in 1963. In November 2002, Peter met Dr Murray. He had been encouraged by Catholic Church public statements, and particularly by Dr Murray, that sex abuse victims come forward. Between 2002 and 2003, Peter made repeated requests for information and clarification regarding Fr Daly, the priest he alleges sexually abused him in 1980/81. To these requests, no information came from either the Diocese of Limerick or the Archdiocese of Sydney in Australia. In 2003, however, the Australian archdiocese confirmed to Peter they had shared information with the Irish Bishops' Conference. And they encouraged Peter to contact the Director of the Child Protection Office (CPO) – set up by Irish bishops – to seek that information. Deirdre FitzPatrick, head of advocacy with One in Four, said that in early 2004 Peter met with CPO director Paul Bailey requesting support and information. She was present at that meeting, she said, when Mr Bailey informed Peter no information existed regarding Daly – either in Sydney Archdiocese or in Limerick Diocese. Also at that meeting, Ms Fitzpatrick reported, Mr Bailey said Dr Murray had been "stone walling" him in this case. In 2004, Peter traveled to Sydney and got detailed and revealing information on Fr Daly. "He discovered that this information had, in fact, been communicated to the Irish Bishops' Conference in August 2003," said Ms FitzPatrick. "Between 2004 and this year, Peter relentlessly pursued a resolution to his case. He repeatedly indicated that what he wanted essentially was to resolve this case – where there was a truthful disclosure of all the information made available." A mediation meeting took place on March 28, 2006, and two days later, on April 1, Peter died. Mr O'Gorman said mediation has started to play a significant and healthy role in dealing with clerical sexual abuse cases. Describing Peter's tenacity for the truth, Mr OGorman said: "He believed that from the age of 10 he had been repeatedly disbelieved and judged and called a liar in relation to his experiences of abuse. He found that very damaging. He was a man who had an extraordinary and an uncompromising attitude towards truth." Mr O'Gorman said his support group has found mediation in all cases, apart from Peter McCloskey's, to be a process that led to a "very considerable resolution". Peter's mother said she believed her son's death was entirely preventable. "Had he been met by those purporting to speak for my faith with respect, love and compassion, I believe he would be with us still." Jim Morahan, Irish Examiner
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