Victims of child abuse in church-run institutions will today hand a petition to the head of the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

Organisers of a silent demonstration in memory of victims of clerical abuse in church-run institutions will leave children’s shoes piled at the Dáil railings following the march.

THE Pope was “visibly upset” by the stories of clerical child abuse, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said yesterday, with an announcement from the Vatican on the Ryan Report now likely.

A former student of Pope Benedict today branded clerics who ran abusive institutions as the “dregs of society”.

GROUPS representing child abuse victims have called on the Government to revisit “every” compensation case with a new expert advisory board.