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10/04/2002
Roman Catholic sex abuse audit to go back to 1940
An internal inquiry into child sex abuse within the 26 dioceses of the Catholic Church in Ireland will investigate allegations dating back more than 60 years it has emerged.
The news follows an emergency meeting at Maynooth when the church revealed it was establishing its own inquiry into how it dealt with such complaints.
They are to examine files stretching back as far as 1940 to see how the Catholic Church handled complaints of child sex abuse.
On Monday April 8 the church’s 30 bishops in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland met at an extraordinary general meeting to discuss their contribution to the Irish Government’s inquiry into alleged abuse by priests.
The Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, has already said an independent audit will be held into the controversy surrounding the alleged abuse.
The terms and reference of the audit are still being drawn up.
The internal audit comes hot on the heels of allegations that a Catholic priest, Father Sean Fortune, who committed suicide three years ago, sexually abused children.
On Saturday, the Pope accepted the resignation of Dr Brendan Comiskey, the Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford.
Dr Comiskey resigned after criticisms emerged of how he handled the case of Father Fortune.
Dr Comiskey admitted he had not done enough to protect children in his County Wexford diocese.
(AMcE)
The news follows an emergency meeting at Maynooth when the church revealed it was establishing its own inquiry into how it dealt with such complaints.
They are to examine files stretching back as far as 1940 to see how the Catholic Church handled complaints of child sex abuse.
On Monday April 8 the church’s 30 bishops in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland met at an extraordinary general meeting to discuss their contribution to the Irish Government’s inquiry into alleged abuse by priests.
The Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, has already said an independent audit will be held into the controversy surrounding the alleged abuse.
The terms and reference of the audit are still being drawn up.
The internal audit comes hot on the heels of allegations that a Catholic priest, Father Sean Fortune, who committed suicide three years ago, sexually abused children.
On Saturday, the Pope accepted the resignation of Dr Brendan Comiskey, the Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford.
Dr Comiskey resigned after criticisms emerged of how he handled the case of Father Fortune.
Dr Comiskey admitted he had not done enough to protect children in his County Wexford diocese.
(AMcE)
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The PSNI have arrested a former football coach over alleged sex abuse claims. Jim McCafferty who lives in Belfast handed himself into Musgrave Police Station. A police spokesperson said: "A 71-year-old male has been arrested by detectives after presenting himself at a station in Belfast.
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