RETIRED BISHOP of Derry Edward Daly said last night he was “profoundly ashamed” of the wrong done to children by some priests in the diocese.
Speaking after the publication of reports on six dioceses, including Derry, Dr Daly said he had met a number of victims over the years and sincerely apologised to them.
“I greatly regret any failings or shortcomings that I may have had in dealing with these matters whilst I was in office,” he said in a statement. He has been out of office for 18 years.
Retired bishop Séamus Hegarty, who is also the former bishop of Raphoe in Co Donegal, apologised in a statement for “deficits in the management of allegations historically, including during my time as bishop. These deficits cannot be undone and, at the personal level, I am sorry that this is the case.”
The report, which covers the years from 1975 to 2011, said during that period 33 allegations were made against 23 priests. None of the priests was convicted of a criminal offence relating to the allegations. According to the report, older allegations, going back over 50 years, were “only latterly” referred to the civil authorities.
Msgr Eamon Martin, who was appointed the diocesan administrator following the retirement of Dr Hegarty last week on health grounds, held a press conference following the report’s publication. He said past decisions, including the non-disclosure to civil authorities, were taken by bishops themselves. “All the decisions with regards to the use of child safeguarding are taken at the very top of the authorities in the church in the diocese,” he said.
“Therefore, the responsibility for the decisions that have been taken rests with those who were in charge of the diocese at the time – the bishops”, he added. Asked who the bishops were at the relevant times in the Derry diocese, Msgr Martin said: “Bishop Hegarty, Bishop Daly and Bishop Farren. The then bishop was responsible for taking these decisions.”
Msgr Martin also confirmed that while none of the 23 priests against whom allegations were made was convicted, out-of-court financial settlements were made in some cases. “I do not know how many, but a number of settlements have been made and they are in the public domain. I would not agree that the settlements were to make people go away. My belief is that the victims of clerical abuse were not necessarily looking for compensation; they were looking for help,” he added.
Msgr Martin said for the victims of clerical abuse in the Derry diocese, the publication of the report was a painful day. “No matter how positive this report may be about current practice, nothing can take away the awful wrong that was done to you.
“You trusted members of the church before and you had that trust terribly betrayed. Your dignity was violated. Your self-belief and your self-esteem were battered. Your spirit was crushed.
“The terrible things that happened to you can leave a wound and scar that doesn’t go away. When some of you got the courage to tell your story, no one really listened or took you seriously. I am truly sorry at what happened to you and ashamed at the way you were treated,” he said.
“Whilst it is encouraging to read the review’s positive and constructive comments about current practice in the Derry diocese, it is disturbing to study its conclusions that historical practice in this diocese was weak and unco-ordinated and that decisions were taken to protect the institution of the church rather than children. This has disgraced us. As I begin my task as diocesan administrator, these deficits and weaknesses in historical practice provide a salutary lesson for me and for all of us entrusted with safeguarding. There can be no going back to a time when the welfare of children and young people was not paramount,” he said.