Guidelines to be issued for priests accused of abuse

NEW guidelines are to be issued to the country’s 26 dioceses and archdioceses outlining how to best handle sending priests on leave in the event of a clerical abuse allegation.

The head of the Church’s child protection board, Ian Elliott, outlined the draft guidance to the country’s bishops yesterday at their Spring meeting — the area is of particular sensitivity to priests who live in dread of false allegations and the subsequent potential damage to their reputations.

At present, once an allegation is made to a church representative, priests are put on leave from ministry as a precautionary suspension. However, there are differences across the country in the extent of detail given to parishioners, school boards, local clubs etc. There are also differences in the amount of detail given to the parish and uncertainty around who should be informed and what people “need to know.”