Abuse impact study published today

An independently commissioned study by the Catholic Church of the impact of clerical sexual abuse on Irish society will be published today.

The study was conducted in January 2001 by the Health Services Research Unit at the Department of Psychology at Dublin's Royal College of Surgeons.

A survey of 1,000 members of the public was conducted last year, while the new study was still being compiled.

77% of respondents to that survey believed the Catholic church had mismanaged child sexual abuse by members of its clergy, while half of those surveyed said the damage was irreparable.