In 1975, the Catholic Church in Ireland conducted an internal investigation into sexual abuse allegations against its clergy. Brendan Boland, then a 14-year-old boy, gave evidence that he had suffered abuse at the hands of one Fr Brendan Smyth, as well as providing names and addresses of other children at risk by the priest, to the then-36-year-old Fr Sean Brady. Brady passed the allegations to his superiors but the parents and the police were never informed. Smyth carried on with molesting children, including Boland's sister, right up until 1988.
Last week a BBC documentary brought all of this shameful story to light. Today, Brady, now Cardinal and leader of the RCC in Ireland, said that he wants to apologise "personally" to Brendan Boland "at the earliest opportunity" - thirty-seven years after the event. However, he maintained that the documentary had "exaggerated" his part in the shameful episode. Apparently his role had been to take notes and inform people he trusted to take action. A back-handed apology at best, then.
Can you imagine the shit-storm that would ensue if, say, a teacher had done all this and it had been swept under the carpet with thousands of similar allegations, only coming to light decades later? There would be resignations and sackings left right and centre, and there probably wouldn't be a school with two bricks left standing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17984642
Last week a BBC documentary brought all of this shameful story to light. Today, Brady, now Cardinal and leader of the RCC in Ireland, said that he wants to apologise "personally" to Brendan Boland "at the earliest opportunity" - thirty-seven years after the event. However, he maintained that the documentary had "exaggerated" his part in the shameful episode. Apparently his role had been to take notes and inform people he trusted to take action. A back-handed apology at best, then.
Can you imagine the shit-storm that would ensue if, say, a teacher had done all this and it had been swept under the carpet with thousands of similar allegations, only coming to light decades later? There would be resignations and sackings left right and centre, and there probably wouldn't be a school with two bricks left standing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17984642
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
