Abuse support group against establishment of national inquiry

One in Four, the support group for victims of child abuse, today come out against the setting up of a national inquiry into Clerical Child Abuse.

Instead, they want a Standing Office of Inquiry to be established to investigate failures of child protection on a case-by-case basis.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said in the Dail this morning that he was considering extending on a nationwide basis an inquiry into clerical child abuse in Dublin.

However, Director of One in Four, Colm O'Gormon said he believed there were more effective ways of tackling the matter.

“Where a need exists, where it’s clear that there is a need for an enquiry, lets have one,” he said, “but to simply now put in place a large national enquiry we don't believe would be in any way effective.

“If we’ve learnt anything in the last 15 years it must surely be that the responses that we put in place to this whole issue have to be considered, well thought out and purposeful, not knee-jerk.”