UNITED KINGDOM
Pannone
Alan Collins, a solicitor at law firm Pannone who has represented over fifty victims of abuse by catholic clergy, says the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien should not deflect attention from the central issue of abuse in the Catholic Church.
Commented Mr Collins, “We need an open and honest account of what happened. This should not be an internal matter for the Church because it goes to the heart of its inability to confront sexual abuse in a frank and honest manner. Cardinal O’Brien was responsible for the supervision of priests and if he was culpable in any way, he would have been compromised when it came to addressing child abuse in his diocese. Openness on this issue will provide the Catholic Church with an opportunity to examine failings so as to ensure that abuse is never tolerated at any level.”
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