Irish bishop resists pressure to resign after critical report on sex-abuse handling

December 22, 2008

An Irish bishop has rejected calls for his resignation in the wake of a report detailing his failure to address reports of sexual abuse by priests in his diocese. Bishop John Magee of Cloyne came under fire after the release of a report by the independent National Safeguarding Board for Children, which said that the diocese had put children at risk by failing to confront clerical abusers. Meanwhile the Irish government's minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews, announced that he plans to press for full release of the government's own investigation into the Cloyne scandal.

 

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Further information:

• Bishop rejects calls to step down (RTE)
• Lay group calls on bishop to resign (Irish Times)
• Minister welcomes publication of report into the handling of clerical sexual abuse allegations in the Diocese of Cloyne (Minister for Children and Youth Affairs)
• Report raps Irish diocese on sex-abuse policies (CWN, Dec 19)