Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth (born June 8, 1927 in Belfast , † August 22, 1997 in a County Kildare prison ) was a Roman Catholic priest and notorious pedagogical criminal who used his profession to gain access to his victims and protection from persecution . Over a period of more than 40 years, he was able to safely abuse and sexually abuse around ninety children in parishes in Belfast, Dublin and the United States . The abuse covered, among others, the former chairman of the Irish Bishops' Conference , Cardinal Seán Brady , by being present as a priest when two young people abused by Brendan Smyth were made to take a vow of silence and he did nothing.
Life and ordination
Smyth became a member of the Catholic Premonstratensian Order in 1945 . The Order was aware of Smyth's abuse crimes as early as the late 1940s. But neither the Irish police Garda Síochána nor the Royal Ulster Constabulary were involved by the Catholic Order . Instead, victims were silenced and Smyth was transferred from parish to parish or from one diocese to another whenever allegations were made against him. In some cases, the diocese was not notified of allegations of child molestation against Smyth and that he should stay away from children.
Arrest, prison and death
His arrest in 1994 was instrumental in the collapse of the Irish ruling coalition when the Irish Attorney General's improper handling of an extradition request from the Irish police delayed proceedings for months. In an award-winning report on television station UTV, the head of the Premonstratensian Order and the Archbishop of Armagh were accused of completely mishandling the case. The Premonstratensian Order was accused of the failure and guilt through silence that made it possible for Smyth to rape children for 40 years, which was widely acclaimed in Ireland.
Smyth was sentenced to seven years in prison for child molestation. He died of a heart attack in prison in 1997 and was buried by the Order in the early hours of the morning; his grave was covered with concrete to prevent vandalism.
Later investigations
In 2010, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Seán Brady , faced calls for his resignation. He had admitted that he was present in 1975 when two young victims were sworn to remain silent about a church investigation into allegations of abuse against Smyth. Victim groups saw this as evidence of collusion and cover-up. Cardinal Brady said he lacked the strength to turn Smyth over to the police.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ BBC : Profile of Father Brendan Smyth , March 15, 2010
- ↑ Vatican Radio : Ireland: Victims' Associations Pressure , March 15, 2010
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smyth, Brendan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Catholic priest and notorious pedo criminal |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 8, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Belfast |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 22, 1997 |
| Place of death | County Kildare |