NORTHERN IRELAND
BBC News
The Catholic Church has admitted that some children in its care were “tragically and catastrophically” failed.
Fr Tim Bartlett, representing the Diocese of Down and Connor, was giving evidence to Northern Ireland’s Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry.
It is currently examining claims of abuse at a County Down boys’ home.
“The diocese would not wish to offer any excuse at this stage. Only apologise,” Fr Bartlett said.
‘Very evil people’
He told the hearing at Banbridge courthouse that the concept of caring for vulnerable children was “noble”.
However, he accepted that some children were abused because of the actions of some Catholic Church figures and the inactions of others.
Fr Bartlett told the inquiry that “good people made very fundamental mistakes and some very evil people capitalised on that and manipulatively, manipulatively, used that situation for the most grotesque ends.”
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