The admission of negligence by the Diocese of Ferns in its handling of the Colm O'Gorman case has been welcomed as "historic" and "a hopeful turning point" by other victims of clerical sexual abuse.
Ms Marie Collins, who was abused by Father Paul McGennis in 1960, described the negligence admission as a "natural move on" from the apology in January by Cardinal Desmond Connell to a victim of clerical sexual abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese in the 1980s. That apology was to Mr Mervyn Rundle, who was abused by Father Thomas Naughton in 1985/86.
Ms Collins said yesterday's statement from Ferns was moving in the right direction from a situation of almost total denial to one where there was finally an acknowledgement of negligence. She hoped it would mark a turning point in the way the Church, beyond Ferns, handled future abuse cases.
Ms Collins said she also hoped it meant the church would cease its adversarial approach to cases of alleged clerical sexual abuse. Until now victims frequently felt unable to face into the legal confrontation with church authorities which left many feeling "reabused".
She said there had been some kind of investigation into such allegations, and the church needed to meet victims half way. The acknowledgement of negligence was more important than monetary compensation.
"It's not a question of money. The important thing is the acknowledgement. We've had a lot of apologies, but until someone acknowledges that they have done you wrong you cannot forgive, you cannot move on."
Mr John Kelly, of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA), said he hoped the statement meant the church would now acknowledge its negligence in all other cases. Commending Mr O'Gorman for going through with the case, he called for other victims to get the acknowledgement that Mr O'Gorman had. "This is a good day, but it will only be a really good day if it is extended to all victims."
He said he would not encourage victims to co-operate with the Ferns Inquiry, established last month by the Department of Health, as it was non-statutory.
