Many questions still unanswered following probe
"IT IS a start -- but there are still a lot of questions still to be answered."
That was the reaction of one abuse victim last night to the news that the escalating Diocese of Cloyne controversy will now be referred to the Archdiocese of Dublin's Abuse Commission.
The victim acknowledged that the past few years have been "a nightmare" -- but expressed hope that, following the Government publication of the Health Service Executive (HSE) report, a start has been made in delivering answers.
But victims raised serious questions over the HSE probe into the handling of abuse allegations against two clerics by the Diocese of Cloyne.
In several cases, abuse victims claimed they were not offered direct input into the probe -- and several victims thought a report last year by the Church watchdog body, the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), was the only formal probe then underway.
One victim also expressed astonishment that the HSE did not specifically recommend that the Cloyne allegations be referred for further investigation -- particularly to the Dublin Archdiocese Abuse Commission.
"There is a lot more to be done but at least today was a start. There are still a lot of questions to be answered," the victim said.
"This whole thing has been a nightmare -- not only because of what happened to us -- but because of the way the complaints were dealt with."
Victims have been full of praise for the way gardai investigated the allegations -- but they are scathing about the way the diocese handled their complaints.
Claims
Several victims are now pursuing civil claims against the diocese over what happened, and these cases are expected to reach the courts over coming months.
"It all seemed to be about limiting the damage to the diocese and the Church. It was as if we didn't matter or our complaints were not as important as protecting the clerics at the centre of all of this," said one victim.
The Cloyne abuse allegations focused on two clerics -- one of whom was alleged to have abused a young boy who later went on to become a priest.
The two clerics have, for legal reasons, only been identified to date as Priest A and Father B. Priest A was alleged to have sexually abused a young boy who worked as an altar server in the Cork church where the cleric was then based.
Gardai were only informed by the Diocese of Cloyne of the alleged abuser's identity six months after the initial complaint was levelled.
However, Father B -- who is understood to have been based as several locations in the sprawling Cork diocese -- is the focus of multiple complaints. He is alleged to have abused two girls and two boys for a period spanning several years.
None of the alleged abuse incidents are connected -- and all occurred at different times.
One of the girls claimed she was abused during Confession on a weekend youth retreat. The teenage girl had been taken into a room alone with the priest during the retreat so he could hear her Confession and was then sexually assaulted.
The alleged incident was reported when the girl's family detected a change in their daughter, asking her what was wrong and whether anything had happened to her.
- Ralph Riegel
