'I was sexually abused in 1961' - Barnados Chief Executive (Main Forum)

by desi , Australia, Thursday, May 03, 2012, 10:57 (380 days ago) @ desi
edited by desi, Thursday, May 03, 2012, 13:14

BARNARDOS CHIEF executive Fergus Finlay yesterday spoke about his own childhood physical and sexual abuse by a religious brother.

Mr Finlay said he had not set out to make “a revelation” but was tired of listening to the excuse that the culture had changed.

Speaking to The Irish Times last night, he said the abuse was by a religious brother. “I knew what it was, I knew it was abuse, when I told my father about it he knew it was abuse. He knew exactly what action needed to be taken and it was taken.”

Mr Finlay was responding to the allegations in the BBC documentary that as notary in a 1975 church inquiry then Fr Seán Brady failed to pass on allegations of abuse to parents of some of the victims of paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth.

Mr Finlay said he found it “impossible to accept” that “a 35-year-old man with significant theological and moral training” could ask an abused boy the kind of questions he asked and “pass the notes on and do nothing further about it”.

'Impossible to accept', absolutely, but, of course, he was bound by secrecy.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0503/1224315512503.html