Dublin Report - "Failures of civil society will shock most" says head of Four in One
Friday, November 27th, 2009

As the long-awaited report on child sexual abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese is published, the head of One in Four, one of Ireland’s leading support and advocacy groups for survivors of child sexual abuse has commented that on reading the report, “the failures of civil society will shock most.”

Speaking on RTÉ news this afternoon and shortly before the release of the report by Dermot Aherne, T.D. Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Ms. Maeve Lewis made her comments concerning the report’s damning comments in respect of the conduct of some Gardaí, named in the report, for their “connivance” with church authorities and thus ensuring that the perpetrators could continue in their behaviour.

The report, which is available for download (click HERE), details the investigation into the activities of a sample of 46 priests of the Dublin Archdiocese between the years 1975 to 2004 and the responses of the Archbishops of Dublin from Dr. McQuaid onwards.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has indicated that people will be shocked by what is in the report.  The report confirms the fact that child abuse was systematically covered up by church authorities and details ways by which some of the Archbishops focussed their attention on maintaining the good name of the church, its status in society and preserving its assets.  The report states that these objectives were ranked higher in priority than protecting children.

The Commission says that it has identified 320 people who complained of child sexual abuse during the period 1975 – 2004 and that of the sample of 102 priests whose cases came within their remit, that they investigated forty-six of them.  The report states that there is no direct evidence of paedophile ring although it goes on to point out connections with some of the priests who are investigated. 

by Gerard Bennett