NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
BY DEBORAH MCALEESE – 23 JUNE 2015
For 40 years Brendan Smyth used his position in the Catholic Church to target, groom and sexually abuse innocent young children.
The Church was well aware of his crimes, but rather than address them he was simply moved from diocese to diocese.
A “very intelligent” man, he “used his intelligence and cunning to intimidate and oppose those who confronted him,” revealed Fr William Fitzgerald, of the Norbertine Order, of which Smyth was a member.
“He was able to silence and ridicule those who would confront him,” Fr Fitzgerald told the historical abuse inquiry yesterday.
Smyth was born in west Belfast on June 8, 1927. According to Smyth’s medical notes he said that his family were poor, but were secretive about their lack of wealth. His father worked as an auctioneer.
Smyth had asthma as a child and was not as athletic as his brother at school.
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.