A US-based lawyer who was abused by notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth has called for Cardinal Sean Brady to resign over his handling of allegations against the convicted sex offender 35 years ago.
Speaking on RTÉ's Pat Kenny Show today, Helen McGonigle (48), an attorney now living in Brookfield, Connecticut, said the cardinal's assertion that he should not be judged by the standards of today was "absolutely wrong."
"He's coming to this issue with unclean hands, unclean hands that are borne by the bloodstains of many victims and victims who have committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide."
"He allowed that to happen over the past 35 years and the only reason he has shown us his unclean hands is because he's been pressured to do so by the lawsuit that's pending in the High Court...and now he has to respond."
Ms McGonigle, who has a case pending in the Superior Court in the State of Rhode Island against the diocese of Providence and Holy Trinity Abbey in Co Cavan, accused the church of allowing Brendan Smyth to travel to abroad even though it was aware of allegations against the cleric.
She said Dr Brady had sat on information surrounding the cleric for 35 years during which time more children had been abused.
"He has absolutely no excuse for that, no excuse whatsoever other than that he's protecting the hierarchy of the church itself and not protecting children or people," she said.
Ms McGonigle, who was first abused by Fr Smyth at the age of six while the paedophile priest was based at her family’s parish in Rhode Island in the 1960s, said the cardinal should also be charged for obstruction of justice over his failure to alert authorities to the actions of Smyth.