This is my first posting to the Mudcat in a long time for various reasons. However, I am not replying to any individual message. In this world there are certain people who take advantage of others, whether it be in a sexually explotive, physical or monterary way. I was a student as the Christian Brothers in Ireland were coming to the end of their 'reign.' There were some good brothers and some bad. There were some good lay people and some bad lay people. Some of those 'bad' people/brothers took advantage of those they deemed to be vunerable. The meek who were scared of their authority. For that, they deserve to feel the full extent of the law. We should, however, ask why these people managed for so many years to destroy lives etc., neither monitored nor fettered. How can a bishop walk into a room and discover a priest interfering with a child and simply ignore it? (this is not a hyphothetical example) How can a Headmaster of a school allow a clerical member of his staff, about whom rumours abound, accompany a group of students on a three week summer course as their 'medical officer?' The guilty should be punished (clerical or otherwise), but so should the accessories.