Bishop Eamon Casey was a ‘sexual predator’, according to new RTÉ documentary

Former CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, Ian Elliott, has described Bishop Eamonn Casey as a “sexual predator”.

An RTÉ documentary, in collaboration with Irish Mail on Sunday reporter Anne Sheridan, examines the Catholic Church’s handling of the allegations against the former Bishop of Galway, who died in 2017.

His niece, Patricia Donovan, claims he first raped her when she was five years old and the sexual abuse continued for years.

Mr Elliot found her account of her experiences to be “entirely credible” and described Bishop Casey as, in all likelihood, “an abuser, a sexual predator.”

“The fact is that individuals have come forward and spoken about … numerous sexual activities, some of which were consensual, some of which were not. Many of which involved very young people. This is wrong and there is no justification for it. It should have been stopped.”

“Those who are in need and despair should receive help and support from the Church. This is the highest priority.”

In the documentary, Patricia Donovan talks about “the horror of being raped by him when I was five years old.”

“The violence just continued. He wasn’t afraid of getting caught. He thought he could do what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted… He was almost angry that I dared to fight him, that I dared to hurt him, that I dared to stop him… It made no difference.

“I feel absolutely and utterly betrayed by the church I grew up in.”

The documentary, entitled “Bishop Casey’s Buried Secrets,” also reveals how the Diocese of Limerick paid one of Bishop Casey’s accusers over €100,000 in compensation following his death.

In early 2006, the Irish bishops announced that Eamonn Casey would return to Ireland from England to retire. By this time, the Vatican had already received at least two allegations of child sexual abuse against Bishop Casey.

Bishop Casey consistently denied all allegations of child sexual abuse made against him. Although all complaints were reported to An Garda Síochána, he was never charged or prosecuted for any sexual crimes.

He was willing to go to court to defend his reputation after two of his accusers filed civil lawsuits against him.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national Rape Crisis Helpline 24 hours a day on 1800-77 8888, access the SMS service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.