‘You’re presumed guilty and priests are terrified’ – Irish priest falsely accused of sexually abusing a child

IRELAND
Irish Independent

Kathy Armstrong
July 30 2017

A priest who was falsely accused of sexually abusing a child has called the ordeal “years of hell” and said he received no official support from the Catholic church.

Father Tim Hazelwood said that factors such as years of scandals involving the church and an increased workload are putting our clergymen at an increased risk of suicide and he is encouraging them to reach out if they are under strain.

In 2009 he said he was informed that an anonymous complaint about child abuse had been made against him to the diocese.

The individual never came forward and the complaint was forwarded to the HSE and the gardaí.
The man then proceeded to send anonymous letters and threatening phone-calls to the priest directly Fr Hazelwood said.

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.