Clerical abuse inquiry begins oral hearings soon

AN inquiry into clerical sexual abuse in a Wexford diocese is to begin

The Ferns Inquiry continues to receive a “trickle” of submissions from victims of priests such as the late Fr Sean Fortune, who sexually abused boys in his diocese for years. Oral hearings with victims begin behind closed doors on September 15, inquiry secretary Marian Shanley last night confirmed.

“We are getting a good, steady trickle of written submissions. I would like to think that everyone out there who has suffered abuse in the diocese would come forward to us. I’m not too concerned about the flow of submissions so far. I would be more concerned if we have a huge volume of material and could not cope.

“What we do when we receive a written submission is cross check them with the files we have received from the health board, the Church and gardaí and assemble a brief on that person.

“After September 12, we will be putting a second, softer advert without mentioning the terms of reference, etc, in the papers urging others to come forward. But we will begin hearing from victims themselves on September 15. It’s hard to estimate how many will make oral submissions, but we would reckon about 40 people,” she said.

Victims will be given as much or as little time as they want, but it is estimated from initial written submissions received that each hearing could take a half a day. The inquiry team is in discussions with the Department of Health about reimbursing people for expenses they incur in travelling to give evidence. It is hoped that they might be reimbursed for train fares and meal expenses, as well as loss of earnings for a day where necessary. Typical expenses for a day, without loss of earnings, could come to around 100 to 120, the inquiry estimates.

“Some people have phoned us up and have come in and made statements. What we do is write down what they say, type it up and send it out to them, asking them to make amendments or changes where necessary. Some people are happy to leave it at that. Others want to make an oral submission too. We leave it totally up to the individual to decide,” added Ms Shanley. The entire process is being treated exceptionally sensitively. “There are people coming forward who have told nobody about this abuse. There are people whose parents and family don’t know. We’ve been working non-stop and see ourselves as having a deadline of March. The final phase will involve talking to the bishop and the Church.”

The inquiry is totally dependent on people coming forward. And Ms Shanley said she is not unduly worried by the trickle of written submissions so far.

“I’m not worried yet. Enough interest has been expressed. We are lucky to have a group like OneinFour as a guardian. They have helped direct people to us.” The Ferns Inquiry was set up in the wake of a BBC documentary, Suing the Pope. It catalogued the Diocese of Ferns’ inaction when allegations of clerical sexual abuse were brought to its attention. Bishop Brendan Comiskey resigned his post as bishop of the diocese in the wake of the documentary.

Health Minister Micheál Martin met with victims featured in the documentary and employed senior counsel George Birminghan to investigate the terms of reference for an inquiry into abuse in the area. That inquiry is non-statutory and if it takes longer than a year, has been ordered to publish an interim report.