NORTHERN IRELAND
Farming Life
Concerns were raised about the activities of a notorious paedophile priest before he was ordained, an inquiry has heard.
There was suspicion that Fr Brendan Smyth, who went on to sexually assault hundreds of children, had abused a boy while training in Rome during the late 1940s.
The revelations were made to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry, which is looking at how Smyth – a member of the Norbertine order – was allowed to continue offending for over four decades.
Jospeh Aiken, counsel for the inquiry said: “The Norbertine order believes that knowledge of Brendan Smyth’s activities exists prior to his ordination yet he was ordained as a priest in any event.
“A complaint had been made about Smyth when he was a student in Rome in the 1940s. He was accused of abusing a child in the vicinity of the college.”
Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart is leading the HIA inquiry, one of the UK’s largest inquiries into physical, sexual and emotional harm to children at homes run by the church, state and voluntary organisations.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.