DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Associated Press
August 20, 2018
By Danica Kirka and Pietro de Cristofaro
An international research group launched a database Monday of Irish clergy convicted or credibly accused of sexually abusing children in hopes of pressing Pope Francis to disclose the names of all the priests and brothers deemed guilty by the church.
BishopAccountability.org says the online database unveiled Monday shows the degree to which information still remains hidden in Ireland. The list was released before the pontiff’s visit to Ireland on Saturday.
BishopAccountability issued a similar report on the eve of Francis’ visit to Chile in January, identifying dozens of credibly accused clergy and the bishops who covered up for them. That trip turned disastrous for the pope when he discredited several Chilean victims, although he subsequently did an about-face and apologized to the victims and sanctioned complicit bishops.
“Hiding the names of credibly accused child molesters puts children at risk, withholds validation from survivors, and makes it nearly impossible for Catholic laypeople to protect their families or hold church leaders accountable,” co-director Anne Barrett Doyle 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.