This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-33265492
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry: Cardinal Seán Brady admits 'shroud of secrecy' over Church sex abuse inquiry | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Cardinal Seán Brady has said internal church inquiries into child abuse took place under a "shroud of secrecy" to "save the church from scandal". | |
The former head of the Catholic church in Ireland told Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) this was very regrettable. | |
He is giving evidence about the paedophile priest, Fr Brendan Smyth. | |
Cardinal Brady admitted that the internal inquiry process in 1975 was "intimidating" for some witnesses. | |
"There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view to not destroying the good name of the church," he told the inquiry. | |
Oath | |
Intrusive questions were posed to one of the young victims, Cardinal Brady said. | |
The boy had been made to sign an oath of secrecy when priests, including Cardinal Brady, then a young priest, interviewed him about his allegations. | The boy had been made to sign an oath of secrecy when priests, including Cardinal Brady, then a young priest, interviewed him about his allegations. |
Cardinal Brady, the retired archbishop of Armagh, said the church had been preoccupied with gathering evidence so that action could be taken against Smyth | |
As a result, insufficient thought was given to the victims. | |
"We didn't take into account sufficiently, at all, the impact and the care that was needed for the boys and their parents," the 75 year-old said. | |
"That was a mistake. That was wrong." | |
Hundreds | |
The senior cleric has already provided a statement to the inquiry in which he admitted that he now recognises that the church inquiry was flawed. | The senior cleric has already provided a statement to the inquiry in which he admitted that he now recognises that the church inquiry was flawed. |
Smyth was at the centre of one of the first clerical child sex abuse scandals to rock the Catholic church in Ireland. | |
The inquiry heard this week that Smyth admitted he could have abused hundreds of children. | |
He was convicted in the 1990s of more than 100 indecent assaults against children, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, over a 40-year period. | He was convicted in the 1990s of more than 100 indecent assaults against children, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, over a 40-year period. |
He died in prison in 1997 after a heart attack. | He died in prison in 1997 after a heart attack. |
It has also emerged that police in Dublin were aware of his paedophilia more than 20 years before he was convicted. | |
Rretired judge Sir Anthony Hart is leading the inquiry, examining allegations of child abuse in church, state and voluntary children's residential institutions dating back to 1922. |