Clerical abuse victim offers to become test case

A SURVIVOR of clerical child sex abuse has offered to become a test case to establish if the garda have sufficient powers to prosecute clergy who covered up for paedophile priests.

Marie Collins, whose abuser, Fr Paul McGennis, was convicted after an investigation during which the Dublin Archdiocese withheld valuable evidence against him, said she was willing to make a formal complaint and assist a garda inquiry to see what obstacles it faced.

Her offer came as uncertainty continued over the ability of the garda to initiate prosecutions for failure to report abuse allegations under current legislation.