IRELAND
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

Sun, Feb 9, 2014

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said a dozen clerical child abusers were active in the Dublin archdiocese” in the 1970s.

He also described the Catholic Church’s handling of clerical child sex abuse in the past as “inexcusable”.

Archbishop Martin was speaking in the context of the UN Committee For the Rights Of The Child report last week which criticised the Vatican’s handling of clerical child sex abuse.

He said today that “12 serial (clerical) paedophiles were active” in the Dublin archdiocese” in the 1970s and described this as a “big tragedy”.

He said he had removed two priests from ministry due to abuse which took place during his period as Archbishop (since April 2004).

Where uncovering clerical child abuse was concerned “some inbuilt prejudices had to be overcome” and it would “take time to spread elsewhere,” the Archbishop said.