In a letter dated November 5th, 1996, sent to Bishop Comiskey, Jonathon outlined his struggle with bouts of depression over a long period of time.
He said he now felt free to admit that he had been a victim of abuse as an altar boy by this priest, who was a dear friend of his parents and thought of as an "adopted uncle".
He went on to state in his letter that his counsellor would write directly to Bishop Comiskey and that this counsellor was free to share with the bishop whatever he felt like sharing.
Jonathon told the inquiry that he had merely wished to share information that had been troubling him with Bishop Comiskey in making this complaint and the bishop had responded adequately to him. The inquiry expressed concern that the letter from Jonathon was not produced until its work was almost completed, but accepted that this did not reflect on Bishop Comiskey's co-operation with the inquiry.
As the accused priest was deceased at the time the allegation was communicated to the diocese, the appropriate response was to support the victim, which was done. It also noted the empathy expressed by Bishop Comiskey to the complainant in the case, and said it indicated that by 1996 he was aware of the impact of the problem.