IRELAND
Irish Times
Patsy McGarry
An audit of 20 religious congregations by the Catholic Church child protection watchdog has found allegations of sexual abuse are now being reported promptly in almost all cases to the relevant authorities .
The latest traunch of reviews, published on Wednesday, looked at congregations including The Legionaries of Christ, The Oblates of Mary Immaculate and The Mercy Sisters, which continue to have substantial public ministry with children. The remaining 17 congregations are elderly and have had little or no contact with children. No allegations of sexual abuse had been levelled against them.
Teresa Devlin, chief executive of the Catholic Church’s Maynooth based National Board for Safeguarding Children, said the latest reports showed the safeguarding of children had now become “a reflex” and a “first consideration” with religious congregations.
“Reporting to the civil authorities is prompt, case files are recorded correctly and risk is properly assessed,” she said. What was “most heartening” she said, was that “child safeguarding is an ingrained component of the religious life and child related activities” of religious congregations reviewed, she said. “It has become a reflex and their first consideration, ” she added.
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