Majority overestimate clerical sexual abuse
The Iona Institute, which commissioned the research, said almost a third of those surveyed were closer to the figure of 4% of clerics, as reported in a study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the US.
Iona, which describes itself as a pro-religion organisation, said the poll carried out by Amarach Research reveals that a clear majority of the public overestimate the number of paedophile priests in the Catholic Church.