AN IRISH bishop has admitted the extent of child sex abuse allegations against priests in his diocese, revealing yesterday that 26 have been accused in 40 years.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry, the Most Rev Seamus Hegarty, held an unprecedented press conference two days after the publication of an Irish Government report into the Diocese of Ferns, Co Wicklow, which was revealed as having the world’s highest rate of clerical abuse allegations.

But Bishop Hegarty’s figures surpassed even those for Ferns, albeit for a slightly longer time period. While the Ferns report investigated more than 100 allegations made against 21 priests, the Diocese of Derry has five more priests under suspicion. Only one has been successfully prosecuted.

The bishop’s statement is the first time that an Irish diocese has voluntarily revealed the results of an audit of clerical sex allegations and is in stark contrast to the secrecy that has prevailed until now. It raises serious questions over the extent of clerical sex abuse in Ireland’s 26 dioceses.

Bishop Hegarty held his press conference on the day that a priest was jailed for a year by a Northern Ireland court for downloading child pornography. The Church also suspended a priest in the Diocese of Tuam, Galway, on Wednesday while police investigated a rape allegation made by a woman.

One of the latest sex cases in Derry involves a priest who has stood down while a police inquiry is carried out, Bishop Hegarty confirmed. The bishop, who is putting in place a child protection policy, described the findings of the Judge Murphy inquiry into the Diocese of Ferns as devastating. He said: “These innocent people have been wounded so badly by those they should have been able to trust. This report is a catalogue of criminal abuse and of sacred trust betrayed.”

In an attempt to allay any fears within his own diocese, the bishop emphasised that every allegation made against serving priests had been investigated. “Our paramount concern is for the safety and welfare of children,” he said.

Bishop Hegarty said: “Many of these complaints are historic, going back as far as the 1950s. Nine priests now deceased have had allegations made against them. Four had allegations made against them which were subsequently withdrawn. Another allegation involved mistaken identity. In three instances, the complainants would not identify the alleged offender.

“For two priests, allegations although initially presented as sexual abuse, were determined not to be abuse. For one priest allegation was not substantiated. One priest, in ministry, stood down and was professionally assessed as giving no evidence of the possibility of risk.

“Another priest made a personal settlement with a complainant, without admission of liability, and is not in active ministry. One priest is alleged to have abused outside Ireland and is no longer a priest in active ministry in this diocese.

“There is one allegation against a priest recently presented, which is ongoing and being investigated by the police; this priest denies the allegation but has asked to be allowed leave of absence from ministry and I have agreed.

“Two priests have been prosecuted. One was acquitted and one pleaded guilty. The priest who pleaded guilty was not a priest of this diocese, although he ministered here.”

Bishop Hegarty, who has met abuse victims, said: “I cannot express often enough my heartfelt and unreserved apology.”

He pledged to continue to co-operate with the police and help to ensure that the horrors of Ferns never happened again.A committee has been set up to monitor good practice and ensure accountability.

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