Bishop: Withholding of alleged sex abuser’s name ‘normal policy’

THE Bishop of Cloyne has described his decision not to give the name of an alleged child abuser to gardaí as “normal practice”, according to a report on alleged child abuse in his diocese.

The report by Ian Elliott, chief executive of the Catholic church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), details the alleged abuse by two priests, Father A and Father B. According to the report, a young priest, named as XY, first reported that he had been abused as a child by Father A in December 2004. On that occasion he spoke to the bishop, but did not reveal who his alleged abuser was. He did not do so until May 2005.

Four months later the bishop met with Father A, and as a result of that meeting Father A resigned.