British cardinal’s new sexual abuse scandal

This video from Britain is called Cardinal Keith O’Brien accused of inappropriate acts by 4 priests, who doubts the word of a priest?

By Paddy McGuffin in Britain:

New abuse claims hit former cardinal

Friday 15 March 2013

Britain’s former most senior Catholic is facing legal action over a new abuse allegation dating back to the 1980s.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien was forced to resign from his St Andrews and Edinburgh archdiocese last month after three priests and a former priest made allegations of “inappropriate” behaviour against him.

It emerged today that a former seminarian, who has not been named, has also made a complaint.

A former priest told the Herald newspaper that the then rector of Blairs had groped and kissed him as a 19-year-old.

He said the cardinal invited him to his room after dinner.

“He had been talking about himself, how he was going places, his career had been mapped out and it was for God to decide.

“I can’t remember the exact phrase he used but he told me he would always look after me and how good a priest I’d be.

“Until this stage I’d thought how excellent it would be to be a priest in his diocese.

“But that’s when it happened. After a few minutes he released me and I was able to make my excuses and go.”

Solicitor Cameron Fyfe confirmed that he has been instructed by the man to make a claim for compensation against Cardinal O’Brien.

Mr Fyfe said he is also exploring the cases of six other clients who allege they were abused by priests.

He said: “I have been instructed to make a claim for compensation against Keith O’Brien and his archdiocese on the basis of abuse my client suffered in the 1980s.

“He is a good witness. You get to assess credibility over the years when you’ve seen so many clients in this situation and he’s entirely credible and would be a good witness.”

A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: “The church is disturbed to hear of these allegations. Any complaints raised will be taken very seriously.”

Mr O’Brien stepped down after conceding that his sexual conduct had “fallen below the standards expected.”

See also here.

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• Cardinal Keith O’Brien faces new abuse allegation from a former priest dating back to the 1980s (dailyrecord.co.uk)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien Confesses: Yes, I Was Totally Nailing All Those Priests (joemygod.blogspot.com)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien in ‘sexual conduct’ admission (itv.com)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien apologises for ‘sexual conduct’ and flees the country (metro.co.uk)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien: My sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest (dailyrecord.co.uk)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien acknowledges sexual misconduct (panarmenian.net)
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien was friends with disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile (metro.co.uk)