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Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry: Cardinal Seán Brady admits 'shroud of secrecy' over Church sex abuse inquiry 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". Cardinal Seán Brady has said internal church inquiries into child sex 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.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. He is giving evidence about paedophile priest, Fr Brendan Smyth.
Cardinal Brady admitted that the internal inquiry process in 1975 was "intimidating" for some witnesses. The cardinal admitted that an internal inquiry he conducted in 1975 was "intimidating" for Smyth's victims.
"There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view to not destroying the good name of the church," he told the inquiry. He also agreed that some of the 30 questions posed to a 14-year-old boy who Smyth had abused were intrusive and "inappropriate".
Oath 'Unspeakable crimes'
Intrusive questions were posed to one of the young victims, Cardinal Brady said. The paedophile priest, who died in prison in 1997, was at the centre of one of the first clerical child sex abuse scandals to rock the Catholic Church in Ireland.
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 HIA inquiry in Banbridge, County Down, is questioning Cardinal Brady about his handling of the Smyth case and the 1975 allegations that the Catholic Church did not report to police. Smyth continued to abuse until he was jailed in 1994.
Cardinal Brady, the retired archbishop of Armagh, said the church had been preoccupied with gathering evidence so that action could be taken against Smyth "There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view to not destroying the good name of the church," Cardinal Brady said.
As a result, insufficient thought was given to the victims. He described Smyth's abuse as "unspeakable crimes" but said Church authorities felt there was "confidentiality resting upon us too".
Secret oath
"The scandal that somebody who was ordained to serve people should so abuse the trust for their own pleasure was appalling," he added.
"To offset that, the scandal was kept a secret - very, very secret. Everybody involved would be bound to secrecy too."
The 14-year-old boy had been made to sign an oath of secrecy when 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 and their families.
"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."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.""That was a mistake. That was wrong."
Hundreds Smyth 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.
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. Sir Anthony Hart is leading the HIA inquiry, examining allegations of child abuse in church, state and voluntary children's residential institutions dating back to 1922.
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 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.