Dialogue on Clergy Sex Abuse - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
childadvocate
http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?2216&deEvent_eventID=3256&date=04-04-2011
http://www.dublindiocese.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2367&Itemid=1166
http://eassurvey.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/dialogue-on-clergy-sex-abuse-archbishop-diarmuid-martin/
Annual Restorative Justice Initiative Conference Event
04-04-2011 Marquette Law School
Harm, Hope, and Healing: International Dialogue on the Clergy Sex
Abuse Scandal April 4 & 5, 2011 Marquette Law School - Marquette
University campus
(links to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin's Lecture
and viewing the conference)
http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?2216&deEvent_eventID=3256&date=04-04-2011
4/4/2011 Marquette Conference Address
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY - HARM, HOPE AND HEALING
Marquette University International Dialogue on the Clergy Sexual Abuse
Scandal
THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE: A PERSONAL JOURNEY
Lecture Notes of Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
Marquette University, Milwaukee, 4th April 2011
Let me give you some brief statistical background into the extent of
the abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Dublin. In the period between
1940 and 2010 – as far as it has been possible to ascertain -
allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse have been made against over
90 priests of the Archdiocese and against about 60 religious priests
who held diocesan appointments. 10 Dublin priests, or former priests,
have been convicted or have cases pending in the criminal courts. Two
non-diocesan priests, who served in Dublin, have also been convicted
in the criminal courts. The number of victims who have been
individually identified is 570, but it is generally accepted that the
number of children who were abused must run into thousands, possibly
by about 10 priests who were clearly serial pedophiles....
I remember well the first complaint about the behaviour of a priest
that arrived on my desk. I looked briefly at the priest’s file to see
if there were any earlier indications about his behaviour. At the top
of the file I found a yellow page saying “Inspected regarding CSA -
Nothing found”. I felt however that I should look at the file in a
little more detail and found that the very next document was an
internal note: “Father X seems to be back to his old activities”.
Clearly there was knowledge of “old activities” but no clear
understanding that these activities indicated an on-going serious
pattern of grooming which should clearly have raised red flags. The
case was effectively dealt with respecting the appropriate norms; the
priest was removed from ministry and the civil authorities
informed....
If I take a Father Z, I can categorise him statistically in various
ways. He can be statistically registered as one priest; it can be
determined however that he abused perhaps one hundred known victims;
there can be valid indications that he had probably abused hundreds
more other children; the number of family members affected will then
easily reach into the thousands. And that is just for one priest.
And in Dublin you must multiply Father Z by about ten real serial
abusers....
I tell these events not to re-open history, but to illustrate just how
difficult it is to bring an institution around to the conviction that
the truth must be told. All institutions have an innate tendency to
protect themselves and to hide their dirty laundry. We have to learn
that the truth has a power to set free which half-truths do not have.
The first condition for restorative justice is that all parties are
willing to tell the truth and to take ownership of the truth, even
when the truth is unpleasant. As I said at a recent liturgy of
lament in Dublin: “The truth will set us free, but not in a simplistic
way. The truth hurts. The truth cleanses not like smooth designer
soap but like a fire that burns and hurts and lances”....
http://www.dublindiocese.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2367&Itemid=1166