The Irish Times – Saturday, November 7, 2009
PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent

THE PUBLICATION of a crucial chapter in the report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation could be delayed by years, according to well-informed sources.

The chapter is understood to be significant because it deals with shortcomings in how the State and the Garda Síochána (Irish Police) dealt with allegations of clerical child sex abuse in Dublin, including the case of a priest alleged to have committed a large number of offences.

Sources emphasised the absence of this chapter would, in their view, render the report skewed and unbalanced as it is “by far the longest, at approximately 60 pages, and one of the most important” chapters.

The full report, which makes findings on the handling of clerical child abuse allegations by church and civil authorities in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin, was presented to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern last July.

The report was cleared for publication, with some edits, by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan on October 15th. However, the day after the High Court ruling, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) raised new concerns with the Department of Justice that publishing the report could jeopardise legal proceedings against the priest.

It was referred back to the High Court on October 21st by the Minister for Justice, following these fresh concerns on the part of the DPP.

Mr Justice Gilligan heard legal submissions on this latest matter, in camera, on October 29th. He has yet to announce his decision.

The relevant chapter is highly critical of the Garda and other civil authorities in their handling of clerical child abuse allegations during the relevant period.

In spring of this year, the day before the DPP gave evidence to a hearing of the commission, a decision was taken to initiate extradition proceedings against the priest on foot of allegations received 20 years previously.

This is the case which, it is understood, prompted the DPP on October 16th last to raise his concerns about the report as cleared for publication by Mr Justice Gilligan the previous day.

Well-informed sources also highlighted the fact that should extradition proceedings go ahead in the case, these would most likely be resisted. This could mean, in the jurisdiction concerned, that it could be years before an outcome.

The Dublin report followed an inquiry by the Commission of Investigation Dublin Archdiocese which began in March 2006 and looked at how allegations of clerical child abuse were handled by church and civil authorities there between January 1st, 1975, and April 30th, 2004. It was first referred by the Minister to the High Court on September 8th.

 

6 Responses to “Full publication of clerical child sex abuse report may take years”

  1. The State investigating the Church, its partners in abuse, and publishing reports and stopping report and modifying reports and delaying and dis-empowering investigators and cow towing and pussy footing and paying lip service.

    Seems to me and it may be a dream that all this should have been done by investigators from outside the country and that the state cannot possibly be involved in an investigation in itself now, in the future or ever again. What European legislation can be involked to force the truth to come out, I mean can European authorities overpower Irish State frustration of the Dublin report?

  2. FXR says:

    This another cover up of the cover up. The State was and is corrupted by arch-Catholics in positions of power. This report, such as it is, only deals with the Dublin Dioceses. Not investigating all of them is a cover up. It will allow those who defend Rome’s abuse of children to claim all this was carried out by a few and avoid the fact that the institution itself is rotten right to the top of the dome.

  3. barry clifford says:

    Anatomy of a report that never was
    This latest sham of a report that never was is what it is, a cover up by church and state on a scale so vast that it will even test the loyalty of David Quinn and Ronan Mullen. The real sting now is they tell us that after twenty years of not pursuing justice against these perverted clerics in the first place, is the reason now for the delay of the report, and wants justice served this time around. Really !!
    It cannot get any more bizarre than this unless you take the states other viewpoint to support the bankers who bankrupted this country in the first place and let themselves be led now by them into more permanent bankruptcy.
    Government we do not have and corruption has become a way of life with them, and it is only right and fitting that we are ruled by a wider europe now if only for that very reason. This does not dilute what is happening here or the wider forum in the pursuit of justice. The crumbs that have been dealt out so far is testament to the extraordinary work of people like Christine Buckley and yourself Paddy, and It is because of your strength that others look to ride on your shoulders. There is a fight brewing here about this report and with our other opponent, Batt O Keefe, who I have been assured is shadow boxing and training in the next room. For this I am ready and hope there will be others like you now to help raise this fight to a greater awareness level in a greater Europe and on an international level. This will be the good fight for with a government and church facing moral and financial bankruptcy it will need all the help it can get.
    Barry Clifford

    e mail: bgclifford@iol.ie

  4. Andrew says:

    Sometimes I snap awake suddenly and find I’m transported to another world!

    Incredible this is!

  5. Portia says:

    here we go again- more in camera rules to keep the truth hidden for the people THEY SERVE.

    These Church and Government agents are unreal in the way they believe they are above the rest of us and we are somehow their slaves.

    We know how things were handled in the past by the church and the state- they were bed partners for goodness sake- they colluded with other.

    If they expect respect now- then let them earn it and come clean and stop being the cowards they really are.

    There is nowhere for them to run anyway Paddy, as Lady Justice has their cards marked- soul wise and they know it.

  6. Paddy says:

    Hardly another cover-up. Is it? Am I just totally sceptical or even bloody-minded.