abuse

NI inquiry needs legal teeth to investigate child abuse

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Amnesty International has issued a warning that a Northern Ireland government-led investigation into clerical child abuse may fail. Why? The problem is that within its annual global report on human rights, Amnesty has highlighted problems with the terms of the inquiry’s reference. “In September, the Northern Ireland executive announced proposals for the establishment of an … Read more

Cardinal Seán Brady: had names and addresses of those being abused and did nothing

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I watched the BBC’s “This World show” last night regarding the complete moral failure of Cardinal Seán Brady. I knew this was coming, but thought that I would watch the program first before I commented on it so that I could that share my reaction to the details and not simply comment on reports of … Read more

Vatican Responds to Irish Criticism: 25-Pages of “Nope, not our fault”

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The Vatican has finally responded to the scathing criticism directed at them by the Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. A few months ago the findings of the Cloyne report revealed on-going abuse and cover-up,  so caused considerable anger. In response the Taoiseach (the head of the Irish government) stood up in the Dail (the Irish Parliment)  and gave a speech in which he described “the dysfunction, disconnection and elitism” in the Vatican and accused them of interferring by blocking the reporting of abuse to the Irish Authorities.

A 25 page reply from the Vatican has now been issued in which they state:

“… significant reservations that the speech made by Enda Kenny… in particular, the accusation that the Holy See attempted to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign democratic republic, is unfounded.”

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Its the Catholics again … avoiding responsibility

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I often wonder if I’ve heard every possible excuse to justify not accepting responsibility for child abuse. However, just when I think I have, along comes somebody to prove me completely wrong.

There is currently a case taking place in the UK that involves a girl known as “JGE”, who was sexually abused while a six-year-old resident at The Firs, a children’s home in Portsmouth run by an order of nuns, the English Province of Our Lady of Charity. JGE was sexually abused by Father Wilfred Baldwin, a priest of the Roman Catholic diocese of Portsmouth and its “vocations director”, who regularly visited The Firs during the 70s. Her legal team claim the nuns were negligent and in breach of duty, and that the diocese was liable for Baldwin’s alleged abuse as he was a Catholic priest engaged within the work of the diocese.

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