Ireland 1975 to 2012: The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for years did not pass abuse allegations against 17 members to police and authorities, and in 2011 publicly claimed the opposite

In July 2011 a senator in the Irish parliament named a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart as an alleged abuser. The order stated the next day that all known allegations had been reported to the authorities; according to the later report this was not true. When the Church's safeguarding board NBSCCCI read the files in August 2011, it suspended the review after one day because allegations had not been reported, and called in the police and the health authority. The police took possession of all files. Since 1975 there had been allegations against 17 members, mainly at a boarding school near Cork. According to the report the order had failed to protect children, shielded abusers from prosecution, did not pass on admissions and did not even warn other Church authorities.

Period

1975-2012 (37 years)

Country

Ireland

Institutions

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC)
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland

Category

Sexual abuse, Cover-up

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Response of the Church

1. After a senator named a priest of the order in parliament in July 2011, the order stated publicly the next day that all allegations known to it had been reported to the authorities; according to the report this was not the case. According to the investigation the order had failed to protect children and allowed those who caused harm to avoid being held accountable by state agencies by not passing critical information to the police and the health authority. It did not pass on admissions by perpetrators and did not warn other Church authorities. According to the report, matters had until then been dealt with covertly.
   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 7

   „the following day the Society issued a press release in which they stated that all allegations known to them had been reported to the statutory authorities“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 7

   „On the 26th July 2011 a Senator named a priest whilst participating in a debate in the Oireachtas“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 7

   „it is now regretted and understood to not be the case“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 7

   „the Society in the past had failed to take action to protect vulnerable young children and had allowed those who caused harm to them to avoid being held accountable by statutory agencies by not passing critical information to the Garda Síochána or the Health Services Executive“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 11

   „It failed to take account of admissions by perpetrators by passing them on to the appropriate authorities.“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 11

   „It even failed to alert other Church authorities of the risks posed by identified individuals.“

   Evidence: National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), S. 6

   „Matters that had previously been dealt with in a covert way would now be subject to scrutiny“

See also

• 1968-2012 · 44 years

  Ireland 1968 to 2012: The Church's child-safeguarding board found serial abusers at Spiritan schools; one abused 28 children and remained in ministry until 1996

  • Ireland
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1973-2012 · 39 years

  Ireland 1973 to 2012: A Dominican admitted abuse in 1973, the provincial left him in ministry; he abused further children

  • Ireland
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1996-2009 · 13 years

  Cover-up in the Diocese of Cloyne and the attitude of the Vatican (Cloyne Report)

  • Ireland
  • Vatican City
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up

Original documents to read

1. Church document
   National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI): Review of Safeguarding Practice in the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (mit dem Report into the Management of Child Protection within the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart), 5 September 2012. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.