Businessman bids to freeze Church assets

A BUSINESSMAN who claims he was sexually abused by a cleric is seeking a High Court injunction to freeze the assets of the Church.

The unprecedented move follows Tuesday's landmark settlement when the Archdiocese of Dublin was ordered to pay €300,000 to abuse victim Mervyn Rundle. The case could spark a flood of similar claims from hundreds of other victims.

A legal firm in Cork is preparing the High Court challenge by the businessman, which is being supported by Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA), which represents over 800 victims of clerical sex abuse.