Priest: Wives and mothers 'implicated' in abuse cover-up

A Catholic priest is claiming that the "wives and mothers of Ireland" are as culpable as the Church hierarchy in the cover-up of sexual abuse.

In an article in the 'Irish Catholic', Father Paddy Banville of the Ferns Diocese has said "a significant percentage of the population are implicated in the cover-up of abuse".

He added that in time he believes Ireland will discover there is nothing unique about the Catholic bishops' "bungling" attempts to deal with clerical abuse.

Managing editor of the 'Irish Catholic', Garry O'Sullivan, has said he believes Father Banville was talking from "personal experience".