Protecting the minors

In 2008 Ireland’s twenty-six Catholic dioceses notified to the statutory authorities fifty-six allegations of abuse on minors, 21 of these regarding deceased clergy. In recent years Ireland’s Catholic Church has been involved in several episodes of paedophilia and sexual abuses, and was charged with having covered up some of the alleged accusations. The controversies involving alleged sexual abuse on minors led the bishop of Cloyne, Msgr. John Magee to resign after having been charged with not having reported abuse on minors to the authorities since 2005. At the end of 2008 a report by the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church – NBSCCC – had found that in two instances Msgr. Magee did not report allegations immediately. No ecclesial sanction was adopted against the priests. Pope appointed Msgr. Dermont Clifford, archbishop of Cashel and Emly, the diocese near Clonyne, to occupy the post of Msgr. Magee. The “National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church”, set up 2006, recently issued the report titled “Safeguarding children” that provides guidelines to prevent further controversies and establishes appropriate procedures on child protection, which ensure that child abuse reports are immediately filed to the authorities in charge.Obviating confusion. According to the Report, over the past years “a wide variety of child protection policy and procedures has been produced across dioceses, congregations and even parishes”. The result is “a multiplicity of guidance which contains different interpretations of what represents best practice for the Church”. The Report is aimed at wiping out confusion by supplying a clear guidance for the Church as a whole from which seven standards were developed along with a ‘self-audit tool’.A definitive reference. The Committee hopes that “upon receiving this document each diocese, religious order and Church organisation will immediately review its policies and procedures using this tool. If deficits are identified, support in addressing these is available through the Office of the National Board for Safeguarding Children”. The Board encourages all Catholic Church bodies to seek advice from the National Office in advance of publishing any child safeguarding policy or procedures or any update of existing policies. With the document, the Board intends to provide a definitive reference for all those involved in the safeguarding of children within the Church across the island of Ireland”.Seven standards. Follow the seven standards to be adopted across parishes and dioceses. The first three standards present detailed codes of behaviour aimed at child protection to be adopted by parishes and dioceses, procedures on how to respond to allegations and suspicions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, on preventing harm to children in recruitment and vetting, running safe activities for children, along with codes of behaviour. Follow Training and education, communicating the Church’s safeguarding message to children, to parents and adults, other organisations, a ccess to advice and support, and implementing and monitoring the Standards.Rigid Controls. The document envisages controls on the minors approached and on those who approach them. The report establishes that in each parish, school and organization a person must be in charge of ensuring the policies’ implementation. It’s important that all abuse allegations are filed to the statutory authorities.Doubts and certainties. Cardinal Sean Brady, Primate of All Ireland, welcomed the publication of the document, which “is an indication of the Church’s resolve to safeguard children at all times”, he declared. His Eminence said he is looking forward to receiving, from the Board, additional guidance in the coming months on other issues. However, the Archbishop of Dublin Msgr. Diarmuid Martin noted a different interpretation of the norms on the part of the different Church bodies. “In Dublin hundreds of priests from other dioceses and religious congregations play an active role in many aspects of Church life. It is imperative that “the planned review of practice in various dioceses by the NSBCCC should contain specific protocols for the Archdiocese of Dublin to verify that the superiors of priests other than those of the Archdiocese of Dublin working in Dublin subscribe to and sustain the same norms and guidelines as those of the Archdiocese”.