SUCCESSIVE BISHOPS made significant errors of judgment in the Catholic diocese of Raphoe when responding to child abuse allegations, a report published yesterday has found. However, a separate report found another diocese was now “a model of best practice”.
The reports from six dioceses followed a review of child protection practices in each, going back to January 1st, 1975, by the Church’s child protection watchdog, its National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Published by Raphoe, Derry, Dromore, Kilmore, Ardagh Clonmacnois dioceses and Tuam archdiocese, they disclosed how Church authorities in each dealt with a total of 164 allegations of child abuse made against 85 priests, six convicted in the courts.
Board chief executive Ian Elliott said yesterday he had found “improvement” where child protection in each was concerned and that “attitudes to child protection in each diocese had also been good”, he said.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald welcomed evidence of a “new and more transparent approach” as shown in the reports, which will be reviewed by the HSE. She will meet Mr Elliott and HSE national director Gordon Jeyes to discuss them.
The report from Raphoe diocese found that “significant errors of judgment were made by successive bishops when responding to child abuse allegations . . . Too much emphasis was placed on the situation of the accused priest and too little on the needs of their complainants.”
The bishops referred to were Bishop Andrew McFeely, succeeded in 1982 by Bishop Séamus Hegarty and in 1995 by Bishop Philip Boyce. The report said it was “a matter of great regret to Bishop Boyce that his focus on victims’ needs was not greater in the past, and he now acknowledges that he has a very different appreciation of his safeguarding responsibilities”.
It continued “the reviewers would accept that this is the case and would wish to commend Bishop Boyce on his willingness to learn the painful lessons of the past and to apply them to the current practice in the diocese.”
Bishop Boyce said “We are truly sorry for the terrible deeds that have been inflicted on so many by a small minority of priests. We offer our humble apologies once more and seek their forgiveness for the dreadful harm that has been done to them, their families and friends.”
The Derry report found child protection there “had been quite weak and unco-ordinated” with many decisions made “to protect the institution of the Church rather than its child members. These historical practices showed a real lack of awareness of the suffering caused to victims by abusers.” But “substantial improvements have been made and credit for that is due in particular to Bishop Hegarty, the chancellor of the diocese and the designated person – who is also the safeguarding co-ordinator – and all of those currently involved in safeguarding in the diocese,” it said.
Bishop Hegarty, who resigned for health reasons last week, said “I was a diocesan bishop for 30 years, first in Raphoe and later in Derry. I now look back and know that my practice in the past was sometimes poor and I am deeply sorry that anyone was hurt through my management of allegations historically.” His predecessor in Derry, Bishop Edward Daly, greatly regretted “any failings or shortcomings that I may have had in dealing with these matters whilst I was in office”.
The report on Tuam comments favourably “on the many examples of good practice . . . found, particularly since the installation of the present archbishop in 1995”, a reference to Archbishop Michael Neary. But his predecessors, it said, handled allegations in a way “which would be entirely unacceptable today”.
The Dromore report was “impressed by the personal interest Bishop McAreavey has taken” in supporting victims. But it felt he should have reported some allegations to the civil authorities more promptly. The Ardagh and Clonmacnois report found the approach to child protection there “laudable” and expressed appreciation for “the openness” of Bishop Colm O’Reilly and his child protection staff.
The board’s highest praise was for Kilmore diocese. It “may be viewed as a model of best practice within the Church in this critical area”, it said and that “to a significant extent, this is seen as a consequence of the personal commitment and diligence of Bishop O’Reilly.”
