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Brady ‘failed to warn parents of abuse claims’
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| Billsticker | Date: Wednesday, 2012-05-02, 8:28 PM | Message # 1 |
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| Brady ‘failed to warn parents of abuse claims’
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news....3795799
BBC reporter Darragh MacIntyre door-stepping Cardinal Sean Brady during the BBC documentary
Published on Wednesday 2 May 2012 08:41
THE position of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland appears increasingly precarious after revelations about his role in an already controversial 1975 child abuse inquiry. Cardinal Sean Brady survived calls for his resignation two years ago when some details of his role in the 1975 church probe into notorious paedophile Fr Brendan Smyth emerged.
But in a BBC documentary broadcast in Northern Ireland last night, and which will go out across the UK tonight in a prime-time slot, the cardinal faces the embarrassment of being confronted by BBC reporter Darragh MacIntyre as he got out of his car. In the programme, new church documents reveal that Cardinal Brady described himself as having been “dispatched to investigate the complaint” against Smyth in March, 1975.
Prior to this, the church had appeared to play down his role, describing it as that of a ‘note taker’ in interviews with children who had been abused. At the time the 36-year-old Fr Brady was a teacher, canon lawyer and bishop’s secretary.
Last night the child who prompted that 1975 church investigation spoke out about its inadequacies on the BBC’s This World programme. Brendan Boland, now 51, said that while his father was kept outside he was questioned inside a room at a monastery by three priests, one of whom is now leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Mr Boland has said that he felt disgusted at the questions put to him at that meeting by another priest while Fr Brady took notes, which quizzed the child in intricate detail about his sexuality and his body. Mr Boland gave the names and addresses of five children either being abused by Smyth or who he thought were in danger.
He told the programme: “One of the priests came over with a bible and made me put my hand on the bible and say that ‘I Brendan Boland do solemnly swear that I have told the truth the whole truth and I will speak to no one about this meeting only to authorised priests’. “And then I signed it and the other signature on the document was Father John B Brady, now Sean Brady, Cardinal of Ireland.”
In a statement, the Catholic Church claimed that the oath was “to give greater force and integrity to the evidence given by Mr Boland against any counter claim by Fr Brendan Smyth”. In the following days, Cardinal Brady himself interviewed the children whose names and addresses were given to him by Mr Boland.
However, despite the report from Mr Boland that some of those children were being abused, four of the five told last night’s programme that to the best of their knowledge their parents had never been contacted by Cardinal Brady, nor any other church figure, to warn them about Smyth.
One of those whose names were given to Cardinal Brady and the other priests then continued to be abused by Smyth. His sister and four younger cousins were also assaulted by Smyth until 1988.
That man, now in his 50s, was not named in the programme, but said: “Nobody came to our house. They should have come to our house and warned our family, or my parents and said ‘look this is what’s happening, this man is involved in this. We would strictly advise you to keep him away from the house’.” He added: “Brendan [Boland], poor Brendan actually thought giving this information, he thought he was going to protect me and protect other people and thinking this was going to be the end of it.
“And by God it is far from the end.”
In 2009 Cardinal Brady said: “If I found myself in a situation where I was aware that my failure to act had allowed or meant that other children were abused, well then, I think I would resign.”
However, the Catholic Church said that comment had to be seen in the context of the question which the cardinal was responding to, which asked him whether as a bishop he would resign in such circumstances. The church said that at the time when he was investigating Brendan Smyth he was a priest who had “no authority” over Smyth and who was “in a process that was headed by more senior clergy than him”.
Smyth was eventually jailed in 1997 for more than 90 child abuse offences over a 40-year period. The Catholic Church moved him from parish to parish as allegations of child abuse emerged against him in each new location. The programme-makers first contacted the Catholic Church in December and sent a detailed letter with individual questions to Cardinal Brady in February.
When he did not respond the reporter, Darragh MacIntyre, approached Cardinal Brady and said that he would like to put some questions to the Catholic leader. He responded: “No, no. I am...thanks very much...but...I am not ready...”
When it was put to him that he had failed to protect children, the cardinal responded: “I did what I was there to do...I gathered the evidence...”
Cardinal Brady then walked away and refused to answer further questions. In a statement to the News Letter last night (see below), ahead of the programme’s broadcast, the Catholic Church rejected the criticism of Cardinal Brady.
Quote Related Articles
Roman Catholic Church statement on This World revelations
It is critical to note that Cardinal Brady’s comment in 2009 that he would resign if by his action children were put at risk was specifically in response to a question about if he was a Bishop with overall responsibility for dealing with allegations at the time of his action or inaction – but he wasn’t a Bishop in 1975, he was a priest who was asked by his own Bishop to record evidence in a process that was headed by more senior clergy than him. |
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| Billsticker | Date: Wednesday, 2012-05-02, 9:14 PM | Message # 2 |
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| The Shame of the Catholic Church Upcoming Broadcasts
BBC HDWed 2 May 2012 21:00 BBC HD
BBC TwoWed 2 May 2012 21:00 BBC Two except Northern Ireland (Analogue), Wales (Analogue)
BBC HDSat 5 May 2012 00:25 BBC HD
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It's only a matter of weeks ago Brady exonerated Fr Martin Mcveigh in Pomeroy of any wrongdoing showing gay porn pictures to minors
Message edited by Billsticker - Wednesday, 2012-05-02, 9:19 PM |
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| RSAUB | Date: Thursday, 2012-05-03, 0:29 AM | Message # 3 |
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| The Roman Catholic church in the Island of Ireland is finished, although I'm not sure if this is a good thing.
As much as I detest them for the suffering and their part in the take-over of many of our areas, demographics are against us, and as we approach a more secular society the more Irishness is linked to the Roman Catholic church, the less chance their is of our people being sucked into the Green Irish bog, but then again, the GAA is run on Roman Catholic Parish lines, yet our youth are playing the sport and many's a ground and team are still named after dead republicans who are celebrated as much as ever.
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| Billsticker | Date: Saturday, 2012-05-05, 2:19 AM | Message # 4 |
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| Police urged to probe priest abuse claims following Cardinal Sean Brady's resignation refusal
http://www.independent.co.uk/news....44.html
Police should investigate the latest child sex abuse allegations to hit the Catholic Church, Amnesty International has said. The human rights group said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) should see if information on abuse was not acted upon.
This comes after Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady defended himself against criticism, insisting he had passed on details of abuse to Church authorities, and claimed others had failed to act as he expected. Amnesty's Northern Ireland programme director Patrick Corrigan said: "The protection of the rights of children is one of the most precious responsibilities carried by the state. "Following the very serious allegations carried in this BBC programme, it now falls to the relevant state authorities to investigate whether any criminal laws have been breached.
"In short that means that the PSNI must investigate whether individuals failed to report a crime, an offence under Section 5 of the Criminal Law (NI) Act 1967, and whether any other offences - such as perverting the course of justice or conspiracy to pervert the course of justice - have been committed under Northern Ireland law." He said authorities in Northern Ireland had to investigate the claims to show no institution is above the law. This came as Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson said he was deeply disturbed by the latest child sex abuse controversy.
But he said the future of Cardinal Brady as Primate was a matter for the Church alone. Mr Robinson said: "The most recent reports about child abuse within the Catholic Church are deeply disturbing. "No one could fail to be moved as victims tell of the traumatic abuse they suffered. "Today my thoughts are with the many victims who have never received justice and who still live with the mental and physical scars.
"I assure them of my continued support as they seek answers and justice." He added: "In September 2011 the Executive established an inquiry into historical institutional child abuse. "The framework of this inquiry was developed through consultation with victims. "It is designed to meet their needs and will have the power to compel witnesses and documents.
"Whilst many are understandably asking serious questions about the Catholic Church leadership, the position of Cardinal Brady is a matter which the Catholic Church hierarchy and its individual members should determine." His concerns over the latest allegations of the mishandling of abuse cases were echoed by Northern Ireland's Children's Commissioner.
Patricia Lewsley-Mooney said institutions, including the Catholic Church, should take responsibility for past failings and ensure they are not repeated. "My office is on record consistently and proactively calling on government and other organisations to ensure that appropriate procedures and guidance are in place for all those who work with children and young people," she said.
"There are no exceptions, no excuses and no exclusions to this rule."
Message edited by Billsticker - Saturday, 2012-05-05, 2:20 AM |
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| Billsticker | Date: Sunday, 2012-05-06, 1:37 AM | Message # 5 |
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| Brady ‘did not offer to resign’
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news....3812887
Published on Saturday 5 May 2012 09:04
THE Roman Catholic Church has insisted that Cardinal Sean Brady did not offer to resign when allegations of his role in a secret inquiry into a dangerous paedophile first broke two years ago.
While a string of government ministers and political leaders on both sides of the border have called on the Primate to consider his future over the Brendan Smyth affair, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said it was not his job to dictate who leads the church.
The beleaguered cardinal has vowed to carry on despite disclosures that in 1975 he was aware of at least five of Smyth’s child victims, yet reports were not passed to police and parents not informed. And Martin Long, head of the Catholic communications office in Ireland, rejected claims that the cardinal wanted to walk away in 2010. “No such offer of resignation was made,” the cardinal’s spokesman said.
Cardinal Brady – at the time a teaching priest at a boarding school, a part-time diocesan secretary and a canon lawyer – acted as notary in the 1975 interviews with two of Smyth’s victims. He was present when they were then sworn to secrecy but has insisted that he should not quit as he was tasked with writing a report and his seniors were responsible for acting to stop Smyth.
Yesterday, the Taoiseach refused to go further than his previous calls for the cardinal to reflect on his position. “Clearly the controversy surrounding Cardinal Brady is about the acceptance of responsibility,” he said. In the 1975 internal inquiry Brendan Boland, then 14, told investigators that at least five children had been attacked by Smyth, BBC documentary This World revealed on Tuesday night.
The paedophile continued abusing for up to 20 more years, and it is feared that at least another 30 youngsters fell victim to him. Helen McGonagle, a US lawyer abused by Smyth while he was a priest in east Greenwich, Rhode Island, in the Diocese of Providence, said that the cardinal must resign and should be the subject of a criminal inquiry.
“Smyth and the Catholic Church destroyed my family,” she said.
Ms McGonagle said she is aware of at least a dozen victims of Smyth in Rhode Island. Her sister, also a victim of Smyth’s, took an overdose of prescription anti-depressants in 2005 aged 48 and her brother, who had not been abused, died in similar circumstances. “What happened to Brady is that he was promoted and rewarded and given a red hat,” she said. “This is a terrible injustice, terrible.”
PSNI detectives are reviewing the BBC documentary which uncovered the extent of Cardinal Brady’s role in the Smyth inquiry, including a secret interview he conducted with a second victim to corroborate the original allegations.
The Garda in Dublin have declined to comment on whether it is investigating the circumstances around the inquiry. Cardinal Brady is due to retire in 2014. In the wake of his role in the Smyth inquiry first being uncovered in 2010 he approached Pope Benedict to ask for another bishop to support his work in the Armagh Archdiocese. Mr Long said that request is still active.
It is expected that a ‘coadjutor’ will be appointed to Armagh by the end of the year with the prospect that he will ultimately replace the cardinal on his retirement, aged 75. Some children were abused by Smyth for years after the internal church inquiry.
It was not until 1994 that Smyth was convicted in a Belfast court of 17 counts of sexual abuse. Three years later in Dublin, he pleaded guilty to another 74 counts of child sexual abuse. He died in prison in 1997.
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAID BELOW
Message edited by Billsticker - Sunday, 2012-05-06, 1:39 AM |
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| RSAUB | Date: Sunday, 2012-05-06, 9:41 PM | Message # 6 |
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| Absolute vermin!
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