Murphy: No secrecy oath for victims in my time here

THE Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, said victims of child sexual abuse in his diocese have not had to take oaths of secrecy since he took over in 1995.

He also said no oaths had been taken prior to that time, as far as he could say.

Bishop Murphy, who was heckled by a man as he celebrated Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, on Sunday, also expressed confidence in Cardinal Seán Brady, saying he did not believe the cardinal should resign over his handling of reports by two young victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, in 1975.

He said he knew the cardinal as a very decent, warm and natural person who had made a tremendous contribution to the peace process in the North.

“He (the cardinal) has also made an enormous contribution to the safeguarding of children in the country,” said Bishop Murphy, adding there was massive support for him in the North.

At all times during his tenure in charge of the Church in Kerry, Dr Murphy said allegations of child sexual abuse were reported to the gardaí and the HSE and 116 lay people in the diocese had been trained in the implementation of diocesan policies and procedures in that area.

Bishop Murphy, who is due to retire later this year, also said he would welcome any investigation into the handling of such allegations in Kerry.

The Bishop of Clogher, Joseph Duffy, also last night said the diocese has no record of silencing of victims or of a secret oath policy.

Bishop Duffy is the latest clergy man to become embroiled in the child abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church after he admitted failing to tell police about a paedophile priest.

The allegations of abuse were made against a priest in his Clogher diocese in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, in 1989 – six years before the cleric appeared in court on abuse charges.

Bishop Duffy was told Fr John McCabe had abused a young boy in his car. But he failed to report the incident to police or social services.

He said it was to his “regret” he did not pass on the abuse claims to police when he first became aware of the allegations in 1989.

In 1995, McCabe, who had then left the priesthood, was jailed for 20 months for abusing the boy between 1979 and 1985.

The bishop last night also said he believed that all known records of child abuse allegations have been shared with the statutory authorities.

With the contents of the Pope’s letter to the Irish people being closely scrutinised, it continues, however, to be overshadowed by stories of how past abuses were covered up.

The Diocese of Derry was last night under pressure to give details of when and why an alleged paedophile priest was transferred from Derry to the Leinster region after the family of an abuse victim spoke out.

According to reports, an alleged paedophile priest was removed from Derry and sent to an unsupervised role at a church in Leinster, where he remained for several years.