Brendan Boland, who was abused by Fr Brendan Smyth and who was made sign an oath of secrecy in the company of Cardinal Seán Brady in 1975 following a canonical inquiry into the allegations of abuse
“[Gardaí] are equally as responsible as the Catholic church because they chose not to prosecute him,” [Mr Boland] told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme.
“And if they had prosecuted him back then I would never have met him, so I’d never have been abused in the first place. I can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like now. I don’t think it’ll ever leave me.”Cardinal Brady’s apology to Smyth’s victims was “a last-ditch attempt to save his face and the face of the Catholic church”, Mr Boland said. He added that the senior cleric had made an attempt to contact him previously to apologise, but that it was to be “under his conditions”. “If I had have went I would’ve felt like a little boy again being scrutinised in his environment,” he said. “I refused to go.”
Fr Brendan Smyth victim: Police must be held responsible for abuse (BBC)
Previously: ‘I Hope This Arrangement Will Be Satisfactory’