Friday, August 12, 2011

Raphoe Bishop dismisses leaked content of clerical abuse report

The Bishop of Raphoe has dismissed a newspaper article today about the contents of a report due to be published later this month on the abuse of children by priests in the county Donegal diocese.

Bishop Philip Boyce responded in a statement to reports in the Irish Independent that hundreds of children were abused by priests in Raphoe over a forty year period.

The findings are said to be contained in a report from the National Board for Safeguarding Children which is expected to be published next month.

Bishop Boyce says some of the newspaper claims are inaccurate and misleading and not in the public interest - and that he intends to complain about the matter.

The publication of the report follows the recent Cloyne revelations - which shed further light on the Church's mishandling and cover-up of clerical sex abuse in Ireland.