Proper reporting procedures not pursued

THE victim called Philip informed Bishop John Magee in March 2002 that he had been abused by the priest in about 1936 when he was aged 12.

Philip, who had become a priest in the US before subsequently leaving the priesthood in 1970 and going on to marry and have a successful business career, contacted the diocese because he wanted to “close it out of my mind and hopefully out of my memory”.

Philip stressed that he did not consider the bishop was responsible for what had happened.