Inquiry into How Gardai Handled Complaints, Steven Carroll, The Irish Times, November 28, 2009

Inquiry into How Gardai Handled Complaints

By Steven Carroll
The Irish Times
November 28, 2009

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1128/1224259622082.html

Fachtna Murphy: appealed to abuse victims to contact gardai

GARDA RESPONSE: GARDA COMMISSIONER Fachtna Murphy has ordered a senior member of the force to begin an investigation into the findings of the Dublin diocesan report.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahoney is to examine how officials from church and State authorities, including the gardai, handled complaints of child sex abuse against members of the clergy.

Mr O’Mahoney, who was recently appointed Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for the western region, has been instructed to carry out the investigation as he deems appropriate and would be entitled to interview those criticised in the report.

The inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese concluded that State authorities facilitated the cover-up of child abuse by members of the clergy by not fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure the law was applied equally to all.

Mr Murphy said the inquiry would focus on establishing whether those failings amounted to criminal behaviour. The decision to investigate the findings was welcomed by survivors’ groups last night.

Once he has concluded his investigation, Mr O’Mahoney will complete a report and make recommendations to Mr Murphy, who said he would take these on board and consult the Director of Public Prosecutions about issues arising in the context of criminal liability.

Mr Murphy said he wished to stress that the Garda Siochana was committed to investigating all allegations of child sexual abuse.

“Garda investigations can never be influenced by the profession or background of a suspect and must concentrate on dealing sensitively with victims, applying the best investigative methods and placing a case before the courts to secure a just outcome,” he said.

The Dublin diocesan report concluded that senior members of the gardai regarded priests as outside their remit, with some members reporting complaints to the archdiocese instead of investigating them properly.

It found that senior gardai had inappropriate dealings with bishops, breached their duties and allowed one priest suspected of sexual abuse to leave the country.

Mr Murphy has since apologised for the fact that the response of the Garda Siochana to complaints against priests was inadequate in some cases.

“ . . . Individuals who sought assistance did not always receive the level of response or protection which any citizen in trouble is entitled to expect from An Garda Siochana,” he said.

Survivors’ group One in Four welcomed the decision to open an investigation into the findings of the report, saying it had been inundated with calls from “angry and distressed survivors” who were unhappy that nobody had been asked to account for their actions.

“The Dublin Report shows clearly that senior priests and public servants deliberately conspired to protect the church at the expense of the children,” One in Four executive director Maeve Lewis said last night.

“They are as guilty as the sex-offender priests for the harm caused. It is only right that they should face criminal proceedings. We commend the Garda commissioner for his prompt response, and look forward to the findings.”

Mr Murphy appealed to individuals who experienced child sexual abuse or who have information about criminal offences in the context of the report to contact a Garda complaints line on 01-6663066.