UNITED KINGDOM
Burton Mail

A BURTON man abused for more than 10 years by a Catholic priest has hit out at the church for ‘failing him’ as a child.

Eamonn Flanagan, now 52 and living in Australia, was abused from the age of 11 by Father Samuel Penney while he was an altar server at Saint Mary and St Modwen Church, in Guild Street, Burton, during the 1970s.

Now 22 years after Penney was jailed for a string of sexual offences against children, Mr Flanagan has been given a payout by the Diocese of Birmingham. Speaking from his home, Mr Flanagan, who waived his right to anonymity, said he felt the church had failed to ‘take responsibility’.

Representatives from the church said this week it now worked ‘very hard’ to deal with abuse allegations.

Mr Flanagan said: “Despite the jailing of Penney, the Catholic church has failed to support…