NORTHERN IRELAND
International Business Times
By Callum Paton
June 25, 2015
The former leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has admitted information surrounding historical sex abuse involving clerics was protected by a code of secrecy.
Speaking at the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, which is hearing evidence on the abuse of children in Northern Ireland in residential institutions, Cardinal Sean Brady said victims were made to swear oaths promising they would not divulge information to anyone outside the Catholic church.
“There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view not to destroying the good name of the church,” he said to the inquiry in Banbridge.
“The scandal that somebody who was ordained to serve people should so abuse the trust for their own pleasure was appalling.
“To offset that, the scandal was kept a secret – very, very secret.”
The Belfast Telegraph reported Brady was criticised over revelations that he was present when two teenage victims of paedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth were sworn to secrecy during interviews over their abuse.
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