How many perpetrators are still in ministry?- Voice of the Faithful
Voice of the Faithful, a group that was formed in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, last night said revelations about an alleged cover-up of sex abuse in the Derry Diocese will add to the "shock and disillusionment" felt by Catholics in Derry.
A statement read: "We have read the reports in the Belfast Telegraph of an out-of-court settlement relating to clerical child sex abuse made by the Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, in 2000.
"These reports will add to the shock and disillusionment that Catholics in Derry have experienced in recent days. They also make an unanswerable argument for extending the inquiry process in the Dublin archdiocese into all dioceses in Ireland, so that all that has to be revealed will be revealed now.
"They also raise questions about the issue of financial accountability in the church. Last year the Derry diocesan levy on parish collections was raised to 13% without proper explanation from the bishop. How many other out-of-court settlements have been made in Derry, and in other Irish dioceses, in recent years, to conceal criminal activity that so gravely endangers Irish Catholic children? How many of the perpetrators of such acts are still in ministry, endangering other children? These questions will now be asked, and they cry out for an answer.
"We welcome the statement from the CEO of the NBSC, Mr Ian Elliott, that such settlements are unacceptable. We call for a categorical assurance from all bishops that this practice will never be used in the future. We call also for a credible inquiry process that can restore trust. We call on all bishops who have employed such practices to realise that the church cannot recover under their leadership and heal the wounds that must be healed."
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Weather for Derry
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
