Catholic priests sexually abused thousands of children in Ireland -Report

21.05.2009

THE Catholic Church was aware that long-term sex offenders were repeatedly abusing children while working in Ireland’s church and state-run institutions, a damning report revealed on Wednesday.

The Child Abuse Commission detailed a catalogue of disturbing and chronic sexual, physical and emotional abuse inflicted on thousands of disadvantaged, neglected and abandoned children by both religious and lay staff over the last 70 years.

The dangers to the children were not taken into account, the inquiry found. Angry exchanges took place between Commission staff and victims of abuse, who were barred from the launch of the report in a central Dublin hotel.

No abusers will be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry, the report said. The report found: “The risk (to children), however, was seen by the congregations in terms of the potential scandal and bad publicity should the abuse be disclosed.”

Judge Sean Ryan, who chaired the Commission, concluded that when confronted with evidence of sex abuse, religious authorities responded by transferring the sex offenders to another location, where in many instances they were free to abuse again.

“There was evidence that such men took up teaching positions sometimes within days of receiving dispensations because of serious allegations or admissions of sexual abuse,” the report said.

The safety of children in general was not a consideration. Sexual abuse was endemic in boys’ schools while in girls’ schools, children were subjected to predatory abuse by male employees, visitors and while on outside placements.

Abuse was rarely reported to the state authorities but on the rare occasion the Department of Education was informed, it colluded with the religious orders in the culture of silence.

The department generally dismissed or ignored sexual abuse complaints and never brought them to the attention of the Garda.

“At best, the abusers were moved but nothing was done about the harm done to the child. At worst, the child was blamed and seen as corrupted by the sexual activity, and was punished severely,” the report stated.