Sir, – The ongoing audit of the Catholic Church in Ireland is laudable – only the truth will set all free: the abused, the abusers and the community. It has been said many times in various media that the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church constitutes only about 3 per cent of all abuse of children.
I question why the Catholic church only is being audited. Ireland as a nation will not be free of guilt until the full truth is known in regard to the abuse of children and appropriate safeguards are put in place. Then we will be able to show the world that we are a safe country where children are concerned. I suggest that all institutions involved with children be audited as meticulously and over the same time span as is the Catholic Church.
The list I give may not be exhaustive: HSE, Department of Social Welfare, other Christian denominations, non-denominational schools under the Department of Education, the legal profession, counselling profession, sports clubs and then the most important institution in the State, the family.
If this does not happen, then it appears to me that the Catholic Church, though guilty, is also the scapegoat for all, at the expense of truth; and the guilt embedded in the Irish psyche will remain. – Yours, etc,