IRELAND
Irish Independent
SHANE PHELAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDITOR – PUBLISHED 28 MARCH 2014
THE Catholic Church’s child safety watchdog has rejected claims by its former boss that a report into the handling of abuse omitted relevant information.
In a statement, the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children said it categorically denied any suggestion that its report last year on the Diocese of Down and Connor “omitted relevant matters from the audit process”.
Earlier this month the board’s former chief executive, Ian Elliott, told the Irish Independent that serious concerns he had about the handling of an abuse case were omitted from the report.
He alleged that the diocese blocked the release of information it held about its handling of the case of ex-priest Jim Donaghy, who was jailed for 10 years in 2012 for abusing two altar boys and a trainee priest.
Mr Elliott conducted audit “field work” in the diocese, which covers Antrim, Down and parts of Derry, in May of last year. He retired the following month.
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