Trial by television

The country is going through a backlash against the Church, but caution should be applied to avoid complete innocents getting mangled in the prevailing public mood, writes Michael Clifford

ON May 24 last, Alan Shatter issued an extraordinary statement. The previous evening, Prime Time Investigates had broadcast its now discredited Mission To Prey programme.

Among other things, the programme had claimed that Fr Kevin Reynolds had fathered a child with an underage girl in Kenya. The claim was utterly false. RTÉ eventually admitted its error, apologised and agreed to pay a large sum in damages to Fr Reynolds.