Further complaint over RTÉ documentary

THE FAMILY of another missionary who was accused of abuse in RTÉ’s Mission to Prey documentary is accusing RTÉ of unfairly targeting their relative.

The family have told Fine Gael senator Michael Mullins that a formal complaint of sexual abuse was never made to Brother Gerard Dillon’s order or school and that the civil authorities in South Africa never received a formal complaint of abuse from the man interviewed in the documentary.

Br Dillon worked as teacher at Christian Brother College in Pretoria, South Africa but has since passed away.

It’s understood that the Christian Brothers also asked to meet with the victim after Mission To Prey was broadcast. However the victim declined.

According to Fine Gael Senator, Michael Mullins, the family of Brother Gerard Dillon have complained to RTÉ about broadcasting details about a dead man when no formal complaint had been lodged.

“The family, who are in the Clare, Galway area complained to RTÉ and are not happy with the tone and response they received back from RTÉ,” said Senator Mullins.

“Given they were so wrong in the Father Reynolds case, I think they deserve due process,” he said.

A RTÉ spokeswoman last night said that “a number of other former pupils of Br Dillon now living in other countries have, independently of each other and voluntarily, made allegations of suffering abuse by Br Dillon”. They said these accounts were “corroborated by others“.

They added that when researching the programme, Prime Time dealt with “senior levels of the relevant order in Ireland“. They also unsuccessfully tried to secure comment from the Christian Brothers school system in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Fr Kevin Reynolds has said RTÉ bosses “have to face the consequences” of having defamed him when they falsely accused him of fathering an child after abusing her African mother.

The Co Galway-based priest said he would leave it up to his solicitor, Robert Dore, to pursue RTÉ. “I’ll leave that in the hands of my solicitor... they will pursue that in a legal way,” he said.

Speaking on Shannonside local radio, Fr Reynolds said that he was “not out for anyone’s blood or for heads rolling or people being sacked”, but his legal team have further questions for RTÉ.

“As a priest... I have no difficulty in saying I forgive you to whoever accused me wrongly or inflicted such distress. That is what we have been taught to do. If I don’t forgive and hold all that and harbour those resentments and grudges and bad memories, I’m only damaging myself,” he said.

The day that he was asked to step aside from ministry, the day before the programme was broadcast, he said he became determined to clear his name. He said he was “destroyed” at the time.

“It was very hard. I was in a daze. I couldn’t get over how they could get it so wrong. It was a tough one. I had a clear conscience. They were all totally baseless and untrue... I said I don’t know how and I don’t know what strategy I’ll use but I will fight this to my dying breath,” he said.

Independent Senator Ronan Mullen wrote to the chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications to request a “thorough investigation” into the broadcast.

Mr Mullen said it raised questions about “managerial culture” at RTÉ and about the broadcaster’s attitude towards the Church.