IRELAND
Donegal Democrat
Published on Friday 23 March 2012
A retired garda who has called for an independent inquiry into four decades of child sexual abuse in the Raphoe Dicoese has blasted the Vatican’s long-awaited report into the handling of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church – deeming it “a bluster of words.”
The report acknowledges failures on the part of those who – as it puts it – should have exercised vigilance. It also said lessons have been learned and found that the current guidelines on child protection were being followed. The findings are based on an apostolic visitation to the four archdioceses, religious congregations and seminaries.
Martin Ridge said that the money that was spent on the apostolic visitation would have been better spent on trauma units and support units to help the victims of abuse in areas where it is deemed necessary. He did state that he welcomed the fact that the church acknowledged their shame in relation to the events that had taken place in the past, adding that he felt that it was a shame that this acknowledgement had to be forced upon them by a State Inquiry.
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