The crisis in the Irish Catholic Church over sex abuse deepened yesterday as another diocese revealed figures for the number of priests facing allegations.
Fifteen priests have been accused of sex abuse over a fifty-year period in the largest Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland, according to figures released by the Diocese of Down and Connor. The figures come on top of the 21 priests identified in an Irish government report published three days ago on the Diocese of Ferns, Co Wicklow, and the 26 priests facing allegations in the Diocese of Derry.
Yesterday the Irish Independent published the details of its own all-Ireland survey, finding that more than 241 priests have been accused of child sexual abuse in the past 40 years.
The newspaper contacted all of Ireland’s 26 dioceses and 23 responded. It said that of these, 22 priests had been convicted while many more of the accused are dead. The final figure could be higher, because the current total includes only priests who worked directly under a bishop serving a diocese and not clerics who served exclusively with religious orders.
The Irish media has this week been devoted to the scandal at a time when the Church’s hierarchy was beginning to hope that the negative stories were running out. Since 1994, when the Government of Albert Reynolds was brought down by the revelation that it had delayed extraditing a paedophile priest, the Church has faced a barrage of adverse publicity, undermining its role at the heart of the State and civil life.
The lid came off the Church’s Pandora’s Box when the Irish Government published the results of its inquiry into the Diocese of Ferns, revealing horrific stories of abuse, neglect, incompetence and cover-up. The report, headed by Frank Murphy, the retired supreme court judge, spared nobody, finding that the Church’s negligence went as far as the Vatican. The most notorious serial rapist named in the report was Father Sean Fortune, a violent bully who blackmailed his victims into silence and eventually committed suicide while facing trial. He left a note in which he maliciously blamed a bishop, whom he falsely accused of having raped him.
Fortune arrived in his first parish, Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, in the late 1970s with a background of child sex abuse allegations while at the St Peter’s College seminary in Wexford town. He was allowed to set up local youth groups and invite boys for overnight stays at his house. In the report, 25 complaints were made against him. Concerned parishioners had organised a delegation to two bishops and written to the Papal Nuncio, the Pope’s Ambassador in Ireland, but nothing happened. When complaints were made against Fortune in 1987, the Church sent him to London to do a communications course and seek therapy. On his return, he was made director of the National Association of Community Broadcasting, where he was later accused of raping a 15-year-old boy in a studio booth. Another priest was accused of sexually assaulting ten girls before the altar in the parish church of Monageer. Police were criticised for not keeping records of informal complaints of abuse.
The Ferns report concluded that for 20 years Bishop Donal Herlihy, who was in charge of the diocese, had failed to treat the issue of sexual abuse as a criminal matter, regarding it as a moral issue. Bishop Brendan Comiskey, his successor, was said to have consistently failed to have priests step aside because he considered it unjust since the allegations of abuse were not substantiated. The bishop resigned in April 2002 as the Ferns inquiry was being established. In response to the Ferns report, two dioceses in Northern Ireland published their own figures, with the Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, admitting that allegations dating as far back as the 1950s of child sexual abuse have been made against 26 priests.
There has been only one successful prosecution, while nine accused priests are dead, four had the allegations against them withdrawn, one is currently under police investigation and another has stood down.
One priest made a personal settlement without admission of liability. Of the 15 priests who face allegations in the Diocese of Down and Connor, three have been convicted. Five others were dead by the time that the allegations were made. Two clergymen made personal settlements to ten people amounting to £102,000.
Two civil actions against one priest are pending. Two other priests have been suspended. A further two have retired. Three of the priests are still in ministry and one investigation has recently been reopened by police. The priest in question denies the allegations, which date back more than 20 years, while the other two priests were returned to ministry after their cases were investigated in 1992 and 1996. Yesterday the Diocese of Kerry revealing that £180,000 has been paid out in three settlements of child abuse claims against priests.
REVELATIONS FROM THE DIOCESES
ACHONRY
Three priests were accused, one is dead and neither of the others are active
ARDAGH & CLONMACNOISE
Four civil actions paid out, involving two priests. All five accused priests are dead
ARMAGH
Eight priests accused, none is in active ministry. One convicted and jailed. “Many” are dead
CASHEL & EMLY
Two priests accused, both retired and under supervision
CLOGHER
Five priests accused, one was convicted.
CLONFERT
Two priests were accused. One was jailed and later defrocked; one was suspended
CLOYNE
Eleven priests were accused; several dead, none in active ministry. One case continuing
CORK AND ROSS
Twelve priests accused, four convicted.
DERRY
Twenty six priests accused, two prosecuted (one pleaded guilty, one acquitted); four had allegations withdrawn, one settled without admitting liability, nine dead. In three cases priest not identified, one was mistaken identity, one allegation “unsubstantiated”, one alleged abuse committed outside Ireland
DOWN & CONNOR
Fifteen priests accused, five are dead. Three convictions and four priests suspended
DROMORE
Five priests accused, none now serving in the diocese DUBLIN
Civil actions pending: 62
Civil actions paid out: 43
67 priests were accused, eight convicted, many are dead. None of accused in active ministry
ELPHIN
No information given
FERNS
Twenty one priests were accused; two convicted, ten dead, rest not in active ministry
KILDARE & LEIGHLIN
Three priests were accused, two are dead. The other case was not pursued and the priest is not in active ministry KILLALA
One priest was accused but he is dead
KILLALOE
Ten priests were accused but are all dead
KILMORE
Four priests were accused, three are dead, one has left the priesthood
GALWAY
Six priests accused; two dead, one retired, one convicted, two remain in ministry
KERRY
Eleven priests were accused; four dead, two were dismissed, five are not in active ministry
LIMERICK
Ten priests were accused; three dead, one before the courts, two cases were dropped. None is in active ministry MEATH
Three priests were accused, none convicted
OSSORY
Four priests were accused; two dead, two not in active ministry
RAPHOE
No information given
TUAM
The diocese wished to give information out locally first
WATERFORD & LISMORE
Seven priests were accused; five not in active ministry, one dead, one in “limited active ministry”
