JAIME HYLAND,
Madam, - As if doubt enough had not been already cast on Church leaders' bona fides in their statements about how much they knew about sexual abuse and its consequences, the revelation that the Church had taken out insurance against claims for this sort of abuse as early as 1987 leaves one dizzy with disbelief.
In order to cover such liabilities, any insurance company must have required the revelation of many documents that the Church was unwilling to release to the State. Also, it would seem cynical indeed for the Church to have forseen the possible financial implications for itself of abuse claims without recognising the deep trauma that such abuse can cause victims. Awards of up to €200,000 were covered, which would seem to suggest that the Church was approaching the realisation that at least the Irish courts would look upon the effects of sexual abuse on children as very serious.
Many arguments have been put forward by Church members, suggesting that the Church is a weak victim being kicked while it is down by aggressive opponents taking advantage of this issue to batter it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Taken with all its constituent parts and assets, the Church is the largest and richest private sector organisation in the country. Its spokesmen are provided with regular soft-focus spaces in all the mainstream media. And its religious orders has recently been freed by a very friendly Government of any liability above €128 million, the rest of the tab to be taken up by the far poorer taxpayer.
Make no mistake, if any other private organisation in this country, whether commercial or charitable, were involved in a similar scandal, it would have been treated with far less patience, far less sensitivity and far greater decisiveness. - Yours, etc.,
JAIME HYLAND, Berlin, Germany.