Salesians apologise for child sexual abuse

A Salesian priest who posed as a psychologist to gain access to young women told one of his victims he was “teaching her how to love”, writes Liz Dodd.

Fr Terence O’Brien, who was a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, died in 2000. Following the settlement of the victim’s civil claim, the order has now issued an apology.

Fr Gerry Briody, the head of the order, said that the victim reported that she had been sexually abused and assaulted by Fr O’Brien on a number of occasions.

He wrote: “The account states that you had gone to him for counselling, were in a vulnerable state and that Fr O’Brien taking advantage of this required you in your subsequent sessions with him to submit to therapy, massage and other practices during which the ‘treatments’ included various forms of serious sexual assault.

“As priests and, and as Salesians of Don Bosco, we are called to respond to the needs of others, and especially young people … I am profoundly saddened to hear that in contrast to this your experience was of shocking sexual abuse at the hands of a Salesian priest. I offer you a heartfelt and unreserved apology for all that you experienced.”

The victim was abused over nine years, between 1975 and 1984, at Fr O’Brien’s house, which was provided by the order, on the same site as the Salesian College, a former school in Battersea, South London.

Richard Scorer, a lawyer specialising in abuse cases, said: “Fr O’Brien not only abused his position as a priest but he also masqueraded as a psychologist so he could attack young people. This was a disgusting betrayal of trust that should never have been allowed to happen.

“I am pleased we have managed to get some justice for the victim by settling her civil claims and hope that and the apology will give her the ability to move on with her life.”

n At the launch of the National Catholic Safeguarding Com­mission’s (NCSC) annual report last week an abuse survivor, Fr Andrew Browne, praised the work of the commission’s new Survivor Advisory Panel and said he hoped to see one established in every diocese as “a safe place”.