NORTHERN IRELAND
Irish Independent
Lesley-Anne McKeown
PUBLISHED
23/06/2015
Self confessed paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth blamed the media for adding to the “distress” of his victims, an inquiry has heard.
In a letter written in 1995 after his conviction for sexually assaulting more than 40 children in Northern Ireland, the west Belfast-born priest said he hoped his victims could also find solace and lashed out at the media for adding to their distress.
He also claimed he had found “peace with God”.
Smyth, who died in jail in 1997, wrote: “I have welcomed the prison sentences imposed by the courts as a fitting means of paying my debt to society.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sorrow to anyone who has in any way suffered as a result of my actions and also to those relatives, friends and members of my religious community who suffered because of the media treatment of these matters for a long time now
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.