02 May 2012

Calls For Church To Act To Uphold Public Confidence

SDLP Health spokesperson Conall McDevitt MLA said it is imperative that the Catholic Church in Ireland takes every possible step to ensure that the people of Ireland have full confidence in its ability to uphold the rights of children and victims.

His remarks follow a BBC documentary which alleges that the then Fr Seán Brady had the names and addresses of victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Fr Brendan Smyth but failed to ensure their safety.

He said: "Since publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports, Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin have offered leadership on the issue of clerical and institutional child sex abuse in Ireland. The primary duties are protection of children and defence of the rights of victims. Child abuse is wrong and has always been wrong and a crime.

"All representatives of the Catholic Church must ensure that nothing they say or do further undermines in any way public confidence in the Church’s ability to deal openly and properly with past criminal acts against children.

"The Cardinal should address all further questions regarding what information he received and whether he treated it with the seriousness that the law and the public would expect of someone in a position of trust."

(CD/GK)