22/04/2002
Catholic Bishops finalise child sex abuse investigation
The terms of reference for the Catholic Church’s internal “audit” of clerical child sex abuse scandals was to be finalised at a meeting in Maynooth on Monday, April 22.
The investigation, which will go back as far a 1940, has been initiated to uncover the truth about the handling of sex abuse allegations against the clergy countrywide.
The meeting comes on the same day that 13 American Cardinals are making their way to Rome to meet the Pope over a similar sex abuse scandal which has recently rocked the Catholic Church in the United States.
The conference of Irish Bishops meeting on Monday is expected to discuss plans proposed two weeks ago for an internal audit to investigate alleged sex abuse and to work out details such as the investigation’s terms of reference and who will carry it out.
A small number of protestors from the Survivors of Child Abuse support group are expected to demonstrate at the meeting in an attempt to be consulted about the terms of reference. The group also wants a place on the panel of the inquiry.
The Bishops were not expected to hold a press conference after senior churchmen faced tough questioning following the last meeting, which was also held in Maynooth.
(AMcE)
The investigation, which will go back as far a 1940, has been initiated to uncover the truth about the handling of sex abuse allegations against the clergy countrywide.
The meeting comes on the same day that 13 American Cardinals are making their way to Rome to meet the Pope over a similar sex abuse scandal which has recently rocked the Catholic Church in the United States.
The conference of Irish Bishops meeting on Monday is expected to discuss plans proposed two weeks ago for an internal audit to investigate alleged sex abuse and to work out details such as the investigation’s terms of reference and who will carry it out.
A small number of protestors from the Survivors of Child Abuse support group are expected to demonstrate at the meeting in an attempt to be consulted about the terms of reference. The group also wants a place on the panel of the inquiry.
The Bishops were not expected to hold a press conference after senior churchmen faced tough questioning following the last meeting, which was also held in Maynooth.
(AMcE)
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