McDowell: Failure to protect children will be criminal offence

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has vowed that failing to take steps to prevent child molestation will be prosecutable as a criminal offence, in line with Ferns Report recommendations.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio today, Mr McDowell said: “There is a suggestion that there should be a new criminal offence relating to engaging in conduct that creates a substantive risk of bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child, or failing to take steps to alleviate that risk, and the report suggests that I should follow that, and I believe that I should.”