Cardinal defends himself in handling of sex abuse allegations

The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales today defended himself against allegations concerning 10 cases of alleged abuse by priests in his former diocese.

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, told a news briefing, held at the church’s central London offices, that he had obtained files relating to the alleged abuse and passed them to solicitors for assessment.

He said the independent assessment had proved that the “correct procedures were followed and that no priest was left in a parish ministry who was a threat to children.”

The Archbishop said the files concerning allegations, which date back to the 1990s, about priests under his care when he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, will now be passed to the Catholic Office for Protection for Children and Vulnerable Adults.

He said media reports about “the allegations had given the impression that some were still serving in parishes and a risk to children.

“The impression was clearly given that I was negligent.

“This to me was a very grave and serious allegation. I’m concerned for the truth, for transparency and about the protection of children,” he said.

“I decided with my successor as Bishop of Brighton and Arundel (Kieran Conry) that we should take files of 10 priests who had complaints made against them and give them to solicitors to evaluate, to assess, the action taken against each priest.”

The report from the solicitor, a Roman Catholic himself, showed that “correct procedures at that time were followed including referral to social services.

“No priest was left in a Parish ministry who was a threat to children,” the Archbishop said.

He added that his priority was now to “focus on victim support. That’s the best way forward for the Catholic Church to assist in victim support.”

During the news briefing, the Rt Rev Conry, defended the decision to place a parish priest who had been accused of child abuse in a house 30 yards from a school.

The 1995 case against Fr Christopher Maxwell-Stewart collapsed because the alleged victim, a nine-year-old girl, could no longer give evidence owing to a medical condition.

Accusations of abusing two other children were also made against the priest but were dropped. All three allegations were investigated by the police.

The case was managed by Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, who was then in Arundel and Brighton and it was reported that he allowed the priest to continue conducting services in his parish in Leatherhead, Surrey.

Maxwell-Stewart was bought a £105,000 house by a charity run by the Diocese near St Joseph’s convent in Deal, Kent two years ago. But the Rt Rev Conry said the issue was a “red herring”.

“Whether he is 30 yards from the school or not does not mean he is going to be any more of a risk, surely the opposite is true,” he said.

The Archbishop also said he had never considered resigning because “I don’t think I have done anything wrong ... I think the Catholic Church in this country wants me to continue,” he said.

Asked whether police had contacted him about the allegations, he said: “If the police want to interview me they can interview me. They have a job to do.”

Last month Fr Michael Hill, 68, was jailed after admitting six charges of indecent assault against three boys between 1969 and 1987.

It was his second jail sentence for similar offences.

The Archbishop has admitted that he made a “very serious mistake” when he appointed Hill to the post of chaplain at Gatwick Airport in 1985 when he had been advised that the priest posed a threat to children.