The Bishop of Clonfert says a newspaper claim that he was aware a priest had abused children after he moved him to another parish is “incorrect”.
The Irish Times reported that John Kirby was told by the man known as “Priest A” of the further abuses when he visited him at Arbour Hill Prison where he was serving a jail term for sexual abuse.
In a statement this afternoon Bishop Kirby says the report is “incorrect” and regrets that it could serve to “exacerbate the hurt” which his earlier widely publicised remarks had caused to the victims of child sexual abuse and their families.
The Bishop said “Contrary to what is stated in today’s Irish Times, I am not aware of an acknowledgement by ‘Priest A’ that he abused any child subsequent to October 1990, the date when I first learned of his sexual abuse of a child”.
“Again, contrary to what is claimed, I am not in receipt of any complaint and I have neither knowledge nor suspicion that ‘Priest A’ abused a child in either of the parishes of Kiltormer or Creagh subsequent to October 1990″ he added.
He goes on to say that he invited the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) to conduct its review of the Diocese of Clonfert in the hope that the publication of the resulting review would serve as a “transparent and objective statement of the safeguarding record of the diocese”.
This review was published back in September.
Bishop Kirby says he believes the review report has served this purpose.
“I have accepted any criticisms of my past actions and omissions and have apologised for them” he continued.
“I do so again today. I am committed to ensuring the implementation of all of its recommendations and to ensuring best practice in the safeguarding of children in the Diocese of Clonfert at all times”.
“All complaints and suspicions of child sexual abuse known to me are also known to An Garda Síochána and to the Health Service Executive” he added.
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