IRELAND
Irish Times
Patsy McGarry
Thu, Jul 23, 2015
An Garda Síochána failed in its duty to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse made by two women against a priest in the Cloyne diocese, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) has found.
The allegations were made in the mid 1990s and related to incidents that occurred in the late 1960s.
Gsoc said it decided taking action against the relevant gardaí was “moot” as they are now retired and no longer amenable to the Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations for Neglect of Duty.
The finding relates to the Cloyne report, published in July 2011, which investigated the handling of clerical child sexual abuse allegations there by church and State authorities. Chapter 10 indicated that gardaí had not acted on information they had in relation to allegations of sexual abuse by a Cloyne priest.
The Gsoc investigation into this, beginning in March 2012, set out to establish whether it might involve an offence by gardaí or if it would justify disciplinary proceedings.
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