Vatican rejects ex-priest’s appeal of defrocking over child sex abuse

The Vatican has rejected an appeal by a former priest against his dismissal from the priesthood over child sex abuse.

Dan Duane, from Mallow Co Cork, was defrocked following a canon law trial for abuse of teenagers and minors.

In March 2013 a secret canonical court set up by the Cloyne diocese’s former administrator, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dermot Clifford, ruled he should be forced to stand down as a priest having heard from a number of his victims.

Previously Duane faced two criminal charges for sex abuse but was acquitted in both cases.

Bishop William Crean of Cloyne yesterday issued a statement in which he apologised “to all who have suffered abuse of any kind at the hands of clergy”.

“We are most grateful to the survivors of abuse who had the courage to come forward to tell their stories,” he said. “We can never be complacent and the work continues on a daily basis, by hundreds of people, to ensure that our children and young people are safe from harm.”

In its 2013 judgment the canonical court “reached the decision with moral certainty” that the priest had sexually abused minors and teenagers and that he “should be dismissed from the clerical state”.

Duane had appealed to the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority in Rome and subsequently to Pope Francis against the canonical court’s ruling.

In May 2011 he was found not guilty of indecently assaulting a teenage girl by direction of the trial judge, who expressed concerns about the alleged victim’s delay in making a complaint to gardaí.

Six months later a jury found Duane not guilty of indecently assaulting a second teenager, following a three-day trial.

A statement from the Catholic communications office said that the Vatican’s decision had been communicated privately to the abuse victims.