Clerical Abuse Gets High-Level Discussion

The Apostolic Visitation set up by the Pope last year is to meet the main group representing Northern Ireland victims of clerical abuse today - having already been in discussion with the Stormont Deputy First Minister - who was on route to today's North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh.

Pope Benedict announced the Visitation in March last year in a pastoral letter to Catholics in Ireland.

It followed the publication of reports into abuse in Catholic institutions and in the Dublin archdiocese. It has held meetings across NI and the Irish Republic this month and is meeting survivors in Newry today.

The panel is being led by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, (pictured) the retired archbishop of Westminster who earlier met the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in relation to the implementation of safeguarding arrangements in the Catholic Church to ensure that this "abuse can never be allowed to happen again".

Martin McGuinness said he welcomed the opportunity to meet to discuss a range of issues in relation to historical child abuse.

"The abuse of many children and vulnerable young people in institutions over many years and the totally insensitive manner in which this was dealt with has cast a dark cloud over Irish society.

"There is an onus on us all to ensure that this abuse can never be allowed to happen again and that necessary safeguarding arrangements are put in place to guarantee protection for those who are greatest at risk," he commented.

"The Papal initiative is an important part of the process of putting the needs of victims first.

"Those who have perpetrated such heinous crimes must not be protected, but must be subject to the full rigours of the legal process," he said, also referred to the recent announcement by the NI Executive to set up an interdepartmental taskforce into institutional abuse.

"Before Christmas the Executive agreed to hold its own inquiry into institutional child abuse and have established an interdepartmental taskforce to establish the nature and scope of this inquiry.

"I welcomed the opportunity to update the cardinal on developments and our discussions will no doubt help to inform this debate.

"While it is imperative that this can be brought to a conclusion as soon as possible, it is also important that the process is got right and that victims are not subject to further and unnecessary suffering.

"The needs of victims and their desire for closure is and will continue to be the over-arching focus of attention throughout the entire process.

"Those who have suffered abuse will be consulted on the terms of reference for the inquiry," he concluded.

See: Institutional Abuse Probe Underway

See: Abuse Probe Call Gets Stormont Response

(BMcC/GK)