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Bacik calls for debate on criminal justice response to Murphy report

Issued : Wednesday 10 March, 2010

Speaking today in the Seanad, Senator Ivana Bacik called for a debate to take place on the response of the criminal justice system to the revelations in the Murphy Report (the report of the Commission enquiring into clerical child sexual abuse in the Dublin archdiocese).

Senator Bacik said: "This debate is necessary following the broadcast of last night's BBC Newsnight programme, which focused upon a man named in the Murphy Report as one of the most serious serial sexual abusers investigated by the Commission. This man, Bill Carney, has for the past ten years been running a family-friendly guesthouse in St. Andrews, Scotland. This is despite the fact that he was convicted of sex abuse offences in Dublin in 1983 and defrocked by the Catholic Church in 1992.

"The Murphy report stated that allegations or complaints of child sexual abuse have been made against Bill Carney by over 30 individuals. One young man, Paul Dwyer, was named in the BBC report as having very tragically committed suicide after being informed that no prosecution would be taken against Bill Carney in respect of his complaint.

"Despite all this, no action appears to have been taken against Bill Carney by the Irish authorities to date on foot of the complaints against him. The Dublin Archdiocese said they did not know Bill Carney's address, yet the BBC Newsnight team were able to locate him very easily, and it is clear the Irish authorities had his address as an Irish passport was recently issued to him.

"Minister Dermot Ahern has said in response to the Murphy Report that the full powers of the criminal law would be applied to child sex abusers, yet nothing has been done about Bill Carney."