IRELAND
Irish MIrror
by Ed Carty, Lyndsey Telford and Michael McHugh
An audit of how the Catholic order the Christian Brothers dealt with abuse allegations has found only 12 brothers were convicted of crimes between 1975 and today.
A review of the congregation’s files found that its initial response to the need to report abuse to the authorities was not systematic and was inadequate.
It revealed allegations were made against 325 brothers – only 50 of whom are still alive – with 870 complaints of abuse in the 38 year period, all of which have been reported to authorities.
The audit, carried out by the church’s own watchdog the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, is one of eight being released today.
The latest and largest tranche of reviews by the oversight body scrutinise both current practice in two religious orders and six dioceses and the handling of all allegations received since January 1975.
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