The Catholic Church had treated the clerical sex abuse issue "very badly", the new chairwoman of the bishops' Child Protection Committee said yesterday.
Retired District Court judge Ms Gillian Hussey said the church had "gone down to the pits. And you have to come up from the pits. There's no going down further. I think it's at its lowest ebb."
The events of the past few days were very positive, she said on RTÉ Radio's Liveline.
Ms Hussey had "no idea" why the bishops had asked her to chair the committee, set up in September 2001 to ensure a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to child protection in each diocese. "I have to say I think it was a brave step of the Hierarchy to reach out and acknowledge that maybe a woman could be chairperson and I give them marks for that."
She said she did not know what lay ahead in her new role. "I literally have no idea what I'm going into. I have no idea what advices are going to be given. I would hope that it will be a committee that will hear the devastation of the victims." She was not afraid of the Hierarchy "and I hope they are not afraid of me".
She described sexual abuse cases as "utterly offensive" and said than when anybody came before her on such a case she always took a second look at them because she abhorred the offence.
Ms Hussey referred to one case of a 12-year-old child who had to give evidence in court about his abuse by a priest. "And that priest sat there in the dock. I watched him, and all I can say was he had a leer on his face." She sentenced him to 12 months and he was subsequently sentenced to nine years for similar offences.
Ms Hussey said the reaction from her friends and family to her appointment was "cautious" but they recognised the honour.
She said she was determined that the lack of communication in the Catholic Church would be tackled. "Communication would be the operative word that I would like to see coming out of this because I think that there has been a lack of communication."
She said the victims were "truly magnificent" in expressing their "horrendous pain". All victims and priests who had nothing to do with sexual abuse would have to be brought together. "There has to be a healing process."
She said the television footage from outside the bishops' meeting on Monday was "horrendous".
The frustration of the abuse victim Mr Ger Kelly, who was protesting outside the building, was obvious and it had never been dealt with. "Somebody somewhere has to deal with him, to help him over that hurt and I'm not talking about money."
Pointing out that abuse complaints went straight from the diocese to the Vatican, she said: "My question is, why didn't the Vatican act?" While she had no difficulty with Rome being informed of allegations, gardaí must be brought in immediately.
