By MAEVE SHEEHAN
The Sunday Independent, Sunday January 17 2010
GARDAI (Irish Police) have stepped up an investigation into whether members of the
force or the clergy broke the law in protecting child sexual abusers.
A dedicated team of detectives working under an assistant garda
commissioner, John O’Mahony, is preparing to interview up to
half-a-dozen members of the force whose actions were criticised in Judge
Yvonne Murphy’s report on child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese. It is
understood that some individuals have already been interviewed but it is
not clear whether these are priests or former members of the force.
The report is not only focusing on gardai but also on the actions of
priests and clergy to see if there is evidence that they failed to act
in relation to a criminal act.
Those who are expected to be interviewed include the retired Cardinal
Desmond Connell and the retired chief superintendents Maurice O’Connor
and Joe McGovern. There have already been calls from victims groups that
Cardinal Connell be prosecuted.
Mr O’Connor was criticised in the report for having “inappropriate
dealings” with Bishop James Kavanagh, at a time when the paedophile Fr
Bill Carney, was investigated for indecent assault. The report found
that Bishop Kavanagh tried to influence the investigation but was
unsuccessful. Fr Carney was convicted because “lower-ranking gardai had
done their job properly”. The report said Chief Superintendent O’Connor
could not take credit for that.
Continue reading »
