Bishop accepts criticisms of report

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, has said he accepts "most of the criticisms" made by the AMEN organisation of the recent Domestic Violence document, published by two of the Irish Bishops' Commissions.

Replying to Ms Mary Cleary, national co-ordinator of AMEN, Bishop Walsh said: "I very much regret the obviously very deep hurt caused to you and the many others you mention. If the document and your criticism of same opens the way to more dialogue about the whole issue then something worthwhile will be achieved."

Dr Walsh is president of the Pastoral Commission which, with the Commission for Justice and Peace, prepared the document. Dr Walsh and Dr Laurence Ryan, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, who is president of the Justice and Peace Commission, wrote the foreword.

The AMEN group said it presented domestic violence "almost entirely as a women's issue and perpetuates the stereotype of women as victims and men as perpetrators". The group was also critical that it was not included in the consultation process prior to publication.

In a response to Bishop Walsh's letter, Ms Cleary said she was pleased he had considered their criticisms with an open mind and had accepted them. "Your expression of regret for any hurt caused is also appreciated and will be conveyed to men who contact us," she said. She said she was anxious that representatives of AMEN should "at the earliest opportunity" meet Dr Walsh and Dr Ryan, as well as Mr Jerome Connolly of the Justice and Peace Commission.

"I am confident we can progress discussion and rectify any unintentional misrepresentation of the issue," she said.

In a separate letter to Ms Cleary, Mr Connolly said AMEN had been "not quite fair to the (Domestic Violence) document."

He said that, on the basis of the available figures for Ireland, it was still true that most reported cases of such violence were by men against women. An AMEN leaflet appeared to say this even more strongly, he added.