The truth will out

“Those misguided individuals who thought they were protecting the Church actually brought it to its knees”, writes Michael Kelly

In the devastating report on the handling of abuse allegations against priests in the Dublin archdiocese, Judge Yvonne Murphy identified a clear pattern. The avoidance of scandal and the protection of the reputation of the Church were paramount concerns. Again and again, children and their families were let down by an establishment intent on protecting itself.

Of course, the truth is that those misguided individuals who thought they were protecting the Church actually brought it to its knees.

Looking at the controversy currently engulfing an Garda Síochána and the Government, you’d be forgiven for thinking that individuals and organisations are incapable of learning from the mistakes of others.

The same mind-set and patterns of behaviour that led to cover-up in relation to policing were at play in the Church.

There’s a certain sense in which the same denial of which Church people were guilty of as revelations of cover-up emerged is going on now amongst senior politicians and gardaí. It’s virtually impossible to hear a discussion on the issue without someone interjecting that “we shouldn’t forget about all of the good gardaí who are tirelessly serving communities across the country”. Of course, that’s correct, but it runs the risk of becoming ‘whataboutery’ and avoidance of the key issues.

Lesson

It’s an understandable instinct, and undoubtedly motivated by the laudable desire to ensure that everyone is not tarred with the same brush. But, it shouldn’t be used for purposes of deflection.

Ultimately, the gardaí will learn the same lesson as the Church: when things go wrong, exception-less honesty is the only policy. Attempting to minimise, cover-up or worse – scapegoat and slur whistle-blowers – will only lead to more pain and loss of public trust.

Resistance to change is, as the Borg might say, futile. State institutions such as the gardaí, HSE and Tusla must be held to account.