The sexual abuse scandal in Limerick diocese is a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States and Ireland.

Denis Daly affair

It was alleged that Peter McCloskey was repeatedly raped by Fr Denis Daly, since deceased, in the Caherdavin parish between 1980 and 1981. In 2006, the victim died two days after a mediation meeting with Dr Donal Murray and his legal team.

Allegations against 10 priests since 1960

According to the Irish Times, allegations have been made against 10 priests since 1960. Three are now deceased and one case is before the courts. The DPP has decided not to proceed with two other cases. There have been no convictions. The diocese says no priest under investigation is in active ministry.

Diocesan policy against abuse

The Limerick diocese had adopted child protection guidelines in accordance with the standards named in the National Board for Safeguarding Children

National Board for Safeguarding Children

The National Board for Safeguarding Children was established in 2006 in order to develop policies that would foster the prevention of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Its main goals are to offer advice on best practice, to assist in the development of procedures and to monitor...

 document. Its goal is to properly share information about concerns with the relevant agencies and involving parents and children. The diocese has also hosted conferences on the importance of preventing abuse

Abuse

Abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...

.

Fallout in Limerick over the Murphy Report

The Murphy Report

Murphy Report

The Murphy Report is the brief name of the report of an investigation conducted by government of Ireland into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin...

 found that bishop Donal Murray

Donal Murray

Donal Brendan Murray was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick from 1996 to 2009. He had previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Dublin diocese-Early life and ordination:...

 did not deal properly with the suspicions and concerns that were expressed to him in relation to Fr Naughton during his time in Dublin, and described his actions - or lack of - as "inexcusable.-

Although the bishop was pressured to resign from his post, he insisted he was not involved in any cover up. He began a listening process with his parishioners as regards his future position in the diocese. He could not say if he expects to say Mass in St John’s Cathedral this Christmas Day.

Bishop finally resigns

Bishop Murray informed the Vicars General of the Diocese on the afternoon of Tuesday 1 December 2009 of his decision to offer his resignation. On Wednesday 2 December, he contacted the Apostolic Nuncio

Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland

The Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...

, asking him to arrange a meeting with the Congregation for Bishops

Congregation for Bishops

The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...

 in Rome. This meeting took place on Monday 7 December.

He announced his decision to a congregation, including priests of the Diocese, people working in the Diocesan Office and the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, at 11 a.m. (noon in Rome, the hour of the publication of the decision) in St. John’s Cathedral, Limerick.

See also

• Abuse
  Abuse
  Abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
  
  
• Child abuse
  Child abuse
  Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
  
  
• Child sexual abuse
  Child sexual abuse
  Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
  
  
• Religious abuse
• Sexual abuse
  Sexual abuse
  Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
  
  
• Sexual misconduct
  Sexual misconduct
  Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
  
  
• Spiritual abuse
  Spiritual abuse
  Spiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in a cult-religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of a deityor church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept...