Watchdog receives 242 allegations against Church

The watchdog charged with safeguarding children in the Catholic Church received 242 new allegations last year, including one of alleged abuse.

Launching its annual report, the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland yesterday said two of the allegations dated since 2000, but the vast majority dated from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The number of new allegations last year was a slight increase on the number for 2011, and comes as the watchdog continues its review of Irish dioceses.