Priest faces fresh sex-abuse claims
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.ALAN MURDOCH
Dublin
Irish Catholic Church leaders exerted considerable authority over the Irish leadership of an order at the centre of a 30-year sex-abuse scandal, despite public claims that they had no influence over it, a television programme to be broadcast tonight claims.
Senior clergy last year publicly argued that they had been unable to intervene in the case of the paedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth, jailed for four years in 1994, because they lacked authority over the Norbertine Order of which he was a member. But the film, Keeping the Faith made by Ulster Television, suggests that bishops privately sought to impose control over the order's abbot, including barring him from public comment.
The programme also details new allegations from four victims that they were abused by Smyth within the Norbertine abbey at Kilnacrott, Co Cavan.
The failure to extradite Smyth to Northern Ireland last year led to the collapse of the Irish government. Smyth, now 64, was last month sentenced to a further three-year jail term for sex assaults against children. He is expected on release to face 30 more charges in the Republic.
The issue of whether Catholic bishops had de facto authority over the Rome-based Norbertines may be critical in determining whether the church should be made legally liable for compensating victims of Smyth and other clerical sex abusers.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments