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KILLALOE DIOCESE HAS been praised for its “great effort” to minimise risks to children.
The praise came in the latest report from the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) in its fifth tranche of reviews on child safeguarding in a number of dioceses.
The review covers the Arch Diocese of Dublin, the Diocese of Meath, Cloyne and Killaloe. It also reviews the religious congregations of the Presentation Brothers, the Patrician Brothers, Benedictine, Glenstal and the Missionary Societies of the Columban Missionaries and the Society of Divine Word.
The report into Killaloe found that 44 out of 48 criteria have been fully met. The remaining four were partially met at the time of the audit.
The report states:
Of particular note in the Diocese of Killaloe is the response made to complainants who have come forward to share their allegations of clerical abuse. The records demonstrate very clearly that they have been met with great compassion and support… All personnel are commended for their response to victims.
Risks to children
The document includes the committee’s findings and its recommendations. Its first recommendation was amending the revised diocesan safeguarding document to include how those who present a risk to children are managed.
On management of allegations, Kilalloe fully met all criteria, such as “there is a process for recording incidents, allegations and suspicions and referrals”.
The committee found that 19 allegations had been received within the Diocese of Killaloe against priests, from 1 January 1975 to the time of the review. There were 59 complaints made directly to the diocese and a further six brought to the attention of the diocese by gardaí or the HSE.
Six of the 19 priest are still alive and members of the diocese, two are in ministry, one is retired and three remain out of ministry.
Of the six diocesan priests against whom there are allegations, two are in ministry.
Having read the files in relation to these two priests, the reviewers support the assessments made by the diocese, that neither reached the threshold of a credible allegation; both cases were reported to the civil authorities
The NBSCCI said that good victim support work was evidenced in all cases. It also said that a number of the priests were sent for assessment, “and unfortunately bad advice was given to the then bishop about returning priests to ministry on the back of poor quality assessments”.
Overall the cases of these four men have been well handled by the diocese. This could be improved further by written safety/management plans.
Since the ordination of the current Bishop, Kieran O Reilly, the diocese has received one allegation of abuse relating to a priest already out of ministry.
There has also been a concern about boundary violations in relation to a priest who is in ministry, which was reported to An Garda Síochána, HSE and NBSCCCI. All agencies felt that this concern did not reach the threshold of abuse.
“There has been prompt reporting and good interagency work in both these cases,” said the review.
The diocese has been holding interagency meetings with An Garda Síochána and HSE for the past two years. Prior to that Bishop Walsh met the civil agencies separately.
The second recommendation was that the director of safeguarding must ensure that all risk management plans are confirmed in writing and shared with the respondent priest.
Preventing harm to children
On the standard ‘preventing harm to children’, Killaloe was found to fully meet all criteria of safe recruitment and vetting, and four of the ‘codes of behaviour’ criteria. It partially met two of the latter critera.
On operating safe activities for children, it fully met all criteria.
The third recommendation was that the Safeguarding Committee ensures that the whistle blowing statement is finalised and inserted into the diocesan policy and procedures document.
Recommendation four was that the Safeguarding Committee ensure that guidelines on the personal/ intimate care of children with disabilities, including appropriate and inappropriate touch, is included in the revised policy and procedures document.
Great effort
The reviewers agreed that “great effort” has been made by these volunteers under the direction of Bishop Walsh, Bishop O’Reilly and their safeguarding staff “to minimise risks to children and to create a culture which welcomes children into the Church and cares for them in line with the gospel values and safeguarding principles”.
They were also impressed by the safeguards that had been put in place for the Lourdes pilgrimages.
The diocese fully met all training and education criteria and communicating the church’s safeguarding message standard criteria. It also fully met the criteria for standard six, access to advice and support, and standard seven, implementing and monitoring standards.
Concluded the review:
In addition from the records and discussions with the safeguarding personnel, there was evidence of a sincere interest in offering support and healing to those affected by abuse.
Bishop’s response
Bishop Kieran O’Reilly said he welcomed the review, and that the diocese accepts all four recommendations.
The thanked the members of the National Board for their help and continued support.
Our first thoughts today are with the victims/survivors of abuse. Abuse of children is reprehensible and there are no words that can adequately express the depth of pain endured by people who have been sexually abused.
He also noted the work of the Diocesan Child Safeguarding office, and the support of An Garda Síochána and the HSE.
The diocese of Killaloe extends our heartfelt apologies to all those who suffered abuse at the hands of a small number of priests of Killaloe. I would like to assure parents and children that the diocese is committed to ensuring that best practices are in place and operational at all times to safeguard children and to listen to their voices.
Bishop O’Reilly added that “care, vigilance and monitoring are our approach to all aspects of child safeguarding”.
Towards Healing Telephone Helpline have extended opening hours are: 8pm to 1am both today and tomorrow and can be contacted on Freephone 1800 303416 (Rep. of Ireland) Freephone 0800 0963315 (Northern Ireland and UK)
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland
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The fact this is commendable is deeply depressing. Yayy, congrats on not being paedos.
There should be no risks. It shouldn’t even be an issue. The fact that it is a major is deeply disturbing
Exactly Rick. I find it deeply disturbing that any organisation can pat themselves on the back for being compassionate towards their own child abuse victims. Big whoop.
Is it just me or is anyone else disturbed by their standards statement that states ; Anyone…who has perpetuated abuse should be assisted and supported in seeking help.
Jane.. Big whoop?.. I am pretty sure it is a big deal for survivors of clerical abuse that real progress is being made to prevent any other child being a victim of abuse. And that all accusations are taken seriously and acted upon.
Of course these atrocities should never have happened. I dont see these reports as the church clapping theirselves on the back. These reports are important because we must never again be complacent about child protection.
Sorry Sinead, it’s a case of too little too late in my book. They’re still standing their ground and refusing to break the seal of confession, still picking and choosing what they will and won’t do. If they really cared about children they would leave no barriers in the way of preventing further abuse.
And if people really cared about children they would welcome and not reject any effort made by the Catholic Church or any organisation to protect children from abuse.
“The Catholic Church probably now have more procedures in place than many other organisations and professionals (Statement from One in Four). They welcomed the report.
There is no doubt that there is still a long long way to go to sort out the child abuse issue. But progress is progress.
Sinead, I repeat: if they really cared about children and not just about PR, they’d agree to break the seal of confession. Until then, colour me sceptical.
How far have we come when a diocese is commended for actually dealing with child abuse cases rather than trying to cover them up.
Just think how nice it’ll be when there are no further cases of abuse to report.
and yet at the same time the Vatican as a whole still refuses to co-operate with UN Investigations into the abuses carried out by the catholic church.
How can they show they’ve changed when they still won’t release records?
That is highly unlikely I think.
Maybe then the atheist demonizes of religion will find a new hobby devoid of religious obsession.
A system of standards that rules out the guards when dealing with reports of abuse by bishops and other senior ranks is gravely flawed : In the event that an allegation is made against a Bishop, the Designated Officer should contact the Metropolitan; if the
allegation is against the Metropolitan, the Bishop senior by appointment should be contacted. In the case of a Major Superior,
the matter should be referred to the Supreme Moderator, or to the Holy See in the case of a Supreme Moderator, by the Designated Officer.
P, I’ll happily stop talking about religion when religion stops interfering in my life, the lives of my family and the lives of millions around the world who are being denied education, contraception, etc.
Ok?
How does that affect your life? Religion doesn’t require or prohibit you from doing anything. If you cared about those people you’d do something instead of using the church as a Scapegoat.
How does it affect my life, P? Are you serious? Well for one thing, as a woman if childbearing age I don’t have full autonomy over my own reproductive rights as long as I live in Ireland, thanks to the endless input of the RCC. For another, I have no choice but to send my child to a school that’s under RCC patronage. They are just two examples of how it affects me directly.
I may not live in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan or Nigeria, but I can still empathise with women whose lives and opportunities for education and employment are severely curtailed in the name of religion. I will continue to care until this is no longer the case.
P O’ Neill , you don’t think religion interfears with people’s lives?
- Tax payer money used to indoctrinate children in state run schools in the catholic faith in almost 100% of state schools,
- Religion used to dictate what women could do with their body’s, religion used as an excuse to force a women to give birth to a rapists baby. (the catholic bishops are against abortions in EVERY instance including rape and incest).
- If you want to opt your kid out of religion in a state run and funded school then either your kid is ignored or you as a parent are expected to look after your kid during these periods
- Same sex marriage rights are denied to gay and lesbian people because of religion
Want something abit more historical?
- Condoms were illegal to the average joe until 1993 because of the catholic church influence
- The whole issue of divorce and how the catholic church didn’t want it to happen for decades
They are on a roll !! Dublin and Killaloe all in one day.
Minimise??? Jesus how good of them.
Please be aware that the NBSCCCI is a Roman Catholic body governed by the RC church and staffed by priests and other Roman Catholics who are subject to Canon Law of the Church.
instead all instances of suspected child sexual abuse, clerical or otherwise, must be reported to An Garda Siochana. It is the role of an Garda Siochana and of the DPP to address the criminal law aspect.
by all means go to the NBSCCCI but only after informing an Garda Siochana.
Have the horrible, twisted little, hypocritical men in daft dresses and debonair purple hats finally agreed to stop sexually, physically and mentally abusing and torturing little kids?
- Oh praise be to Buddah, Allah, Mohammed, Jesus J Christ, Dora the Explorer and Madonna.
Someday that selfish portion of brain-washed society will look beyond their own misguided spiritual gratification and then those churches will at last become grey, boarded up stark reminders of the evil the Church unleashed on the weak and vulnerable.
Animals, and those that support them have blood on their hands – for shame.
How odd that there are 4 articles in today’s Journal about clerical child abuse. These seem to be patting themselves on the back for something they should have been doing 40yrs ago, when many other institutions recognised their failings. That does not, of course include the Catholic Church who had to be dragged there kicking and screaming.
Why is this news?
The appalling thing is the tacit acceptance, realistic but nonetheless appalling, that some Roman Catholic clerics remain a serious sexual threat to children. The elaborate measures to try to minimise, but not prevent, the sexual abuse of children, says also about the predilections and attitudes of some clerics.
Children should be sexual off limits to every one, priests and clergy included.
Scary that the predatory evil of clerical child sexual abuse remains such a real and present danger. The innocence and safety of children should be taken for granted.
Of course all of this is just a PR exercise in an attempt to rehabilitate the much tarnished reputation of the Roman Catholic Church.
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