Church gags cleric who says priests don’t have to report abuse to gardaí

THE Catholic Church has silenced a senior cleric who claimed priests did not have to answer to the law on the reporting of child abuse.

Monsignor Maurice Dooley caused outrage among abuse survivors when he said Cardinal Seán Brady had no reason to apologise for failing to go to the gardaí with his knowledge of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

The silencing of Monsignor Dooley came amidst further allegations yesterday that a girl abused by a priest was sworn to secrecy in an out-of-court settlement as recently as 2000.