Ireland Catholic Church Crimes
Title: Shock in Ireland as inquiry reveals scale of new child sexual abuse cases at Catholic religious schools
Author: Declan McSweeney
Publisher: Catholic Herald UK
Date: 05SEP2024
Ireland’s Catholic Church and wider society are in shock following revelations on 3 September that an inquiry has uncovered significant numbers of uncovered cases of child sexual abuse in Catholic religious schools.
A total of 2,395 allegations were foundrelating to 308 schools, involving 884 alleged abusers, over half of whom are now deceased. The inquiry called on the Irish Government to set up a redress scheme and that religious orders should contribute.
Seventeen special schools – schools for children with disabilities or behavioural difficulties – recorded 590 allegations involving 190 alleged abusers, a particularly high percentage.
The cases relate to at least 22 of the Republic’s 26 counties, and involve schools run by 24 religious orders.
Regarding allegations involving the more major orders: there were 820 allegations in respect of 132 schools run by the Christian Brothers; 329 allegations at six schools run by the Spiritans (formerly Holy Ghost Fathers); and 294 allegations at three schools run by the Brothers of Charity.
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