I’m worried that something fundamental has been missed in all the dust from both the Cloyne Report and all the previous reports into clerical abuse in Ireland. These bishops, who took direction to pervert the course of Irish justice, did so on the orders of the ruling head of a foreign nation. Think about that, they ignored Irish law, the law of the nation they supposedly claim citizenship of. Surely that is an act tantamount to being treasonous. A direct betrayal of the nation and people of Ireland, at the behest of a foreign power.
That being the case perhaps that, is the route to take with non-pedophile leaders within Ireland’s church. Simply strip them of their Irish citizenship and expel them back to their master in the Vatican city. After seizing any, and all goods belonging to them personally for redistribution to those who their acts have directly harmed.
In addition why have we not officially rebuked the Vatican? Surely a just response to their interference with the internal affairs of another sovereign nation would be to cut all diplomatic ties for a set period of time. Then if necessary forcibly remove them and their mouth pieces from all positions of authority in our nations system of education?
As for the pedophile priests themselves and in fact all pedophiles, life sentences, life meaning life. Pedophilia is not a curable illness, they do not get cured. There are cases in the U.S. of convicted pedophiles who have been chemically castrated, self injecting with testosterone to get around their treatment. That being so they should on conviction be held indefinitely, in a facility capable of keeping them separated from all children, for the rest of their natural lives.
There are those who would say this is an extreme and cruel punishment, well let me say as an abuse survivor, it is not. Child abuse is murder. Plain and simple. The person that child was, the person they might have been is killed over the course of one abusive act. They will never again be the same. The person they become will never feel whole and will never be truly okay ever again. It is the most heinous act that can be perpetrated upon a child. Actual murder would be almost kind in comparison, at least their suffering is done, but the abuse survivor never stops hurting. It will often be the first and the last thing they think of each day. It will prey on their minds, fill them with fear and dread when they go to any location, where they might conceivably see their abuser. Often they will never lead fulfilling adult lives, often the most normal and natural parts of life, will have been soured and destroyed for them. And worse still their families will usually suffer the after effects with them.
Every time there is a new revelation about the clerical sex abuse of young children, there is talk about recompense, but little is done beyond a weakly worded letter to the Vatican. A letter which the Vatican then promptly ignores. If Ireland wants to be seen as a truly civilised, modern nation, then surely we should be seen to act to protect our children and where justified avenge those who have been failed in the past. That is what a mature nation should do, protect the young. While making it clear to the entire world, and any who would shelter those who abuse our children, that if you harm our youths, we won’t respond with a letter. Instead we will as one united nation, respond in a legally defined way, that will amount to a complete disaster, brought down upon your representatives who perform or cover up any such act.