Comiskey denies he took no action on complaints of abuse

The Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, has said it is untrue that he took no action about complaints of child sexual abuse against Father Sean Fortune, the priest who was found dead at his home in Co Wexford last week.

Dr Comiskey's statement comes as statistics show that criminal cases of child sexual abuse are pending against 12 members of the clergy, one priest and 11 former Christian Brothers.

Since 1991 there have been 35 convictions of priests, brothers and ex-clergy in Ireland, according to figures compiled by the church.

Some 27 of those were in the Republic and eight in Northern Ireland. There are 7,600 priests in Ireland and 1,000 Christian Brothers.

Dr Comiskey's statement also follows a Sunday newspaper report that the Papal Nuncio, Dr Luciano Storero, has claimed diplomatic immunity in the High Court proceedings being brought against the Catholic Church by victims of Father Fortune.

Both Dr Comiskey and the Papal Nuncio are named in at least one civil action. At least three other victims are also bringing civil proceedings against the church.

Dr Comiskey, who has consistently refused to give interviews about the issue, said in a statement issued through his spokeswoman that he was restricted in the comments he could make because of the High Court proceedings.

Father Fortune faced 29 charges of sex abuse against young boys at the time of his death and was also accused by former parishioners in Co Wexford of fraud. A post-mortem confirmed he committed suicide.

A Wexford man, Mr Sean Cloney, expressed his disappointment with Dr Comiskey's statement, describing it as "another smokescreen". Mr Cloney assisted the inquiry into allegations against Father Fortune and gave the Garda names of more than 70 young people who he knew had come into contact with the priest.

He believed it would not give much encouragement to victims who would like something constructive to take place. "I know that with a civil action pending there will be restrictions on what the bishop can say as a defendant, but at the same time the victims are the people who need most consideration."

Dr Comiskey said in the statement released at the weekend that "the impression has been given that complaints of child sexual abuse were made to me in respect of which I made no response". He added: "It is quite true that I received such complaints. It is untrue, however, to say that I did nothing about them."

Because of the civil proceedings "there may be legal implications which will limit the amount of information I am free to put into the public domain before such proceedings are determined. The advice which I receive about these implications will guide the timing and content of any further statement which I may make in advance of such proceedings."

Mr Cloney had clashed with Father Fortune shortly after his arrival in Fethard-on-Sea in June 1992. He said yesterday that the church as an institution needed to become more willing to help. There should be "a certain urgency in dealing with this problem by the clergy".

It was all very well for the bishop to issue a statement saying he was restricted by legal considerations, "but if you were a parent with a child going through that trauma, or a young person who is a victim, they must feel very let down and cast aside by the church as if they are disposable".

The Papal Nuncio could not be contacted yesterday about the report that he was contesting the right to include him as a defendant on the grounds that he was entitled to immunity as a diplomat under the Vienna Convention.

Dr Storero is the Vatican's representative in Ireland. He was not Papal Nuncio at the time complaints were first made against Father Fortune.

Mr Cloney said the Papal Nuncio's claim of diplomatic immunity would be "one way out if it worked". The Papal Nuncio, however, "must be aware of what has gone on in this diocese and I know his main function must be to relay information to the Vatican. But the Vatican in turn should be able to respond and to take action.

"History tells us that the church is quite secretive and will not bow to outside pressure. In its own time the church will change but a lot of suffering and pain will take place before that happens," he added.