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ARCHBISHOP JOHN CHARLES McQUAID:ARCHBISHOP JOHN Charles McQuaid's failure to punish serial child sex abuser Fr Edmondus in the early 1960s was a disaster that "established a pattern of not holding abusers accountable" for decades to follow.

Dr McQuaid, who was an extremely influential figure in Ireland as head of the archdiocese of Dublin between 1940 and 1972, dealt personally with several complaints of child sex abuse. He exercised tight control over who became aware of allegations and his handling of the Fr Edmondus case was "aimed at the avoidance of scandal and showed no concern for the welfare of children", the report says. It says the Fr Edmondus case holds special significance because it was one of the earliest in the commission's remit.