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Home Page > News > Irish missionary priest wins massive libel damages

Irish missionary priest wins massive libel damages

TV station alleged cleric raped and had child by Kenyan teenager

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, November 18, 2011, 7:53 AM

Updated Friday, November 18, 2011, 12:27 PM

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Fr Kevin Reynolds

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An Irish priest on the African missions has received almost $1.5million in a libel settlement from Irish national broadcaster RTE after it claimed he had raped a teenage girl and left her pregnant in Kenya in 1982.

Fr Kevin Reynolds, a priest with the Mill Hill Missionary Society, will receive the ‘significant’ sum in compensation and aggravated damages after the untrue claims were broadcast in the ‘Mission to Prey’ TV programme.

The broadcaster apologised to Fr Reynolds, in a lengthy statement read out in court.

Now the parish priest at St Cuan’s, Ahascragh, in County Galway, the 65-year-old priest served legal papers on RTE after the Prime Time TV programme concerning the alleged abuse of children and teenagers by Irish missionaries.

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Allegations made against Fr Reynolds were repeated on RTE Radio the following morning.
Senior Counsel for the priest, Jack Fitzgerald, told the court that the broadcaster said it fully and unreservedly apologised to Fr Reynolds, acknowledged it grossly defamed him, and said the programmes ought never to have been broadcast.

“The Prime Time Investigates programme had claimed that Fr Reynolds raped a teenage girl in Kenya in 1982 while working as a missionary, fathered a child with her and abandoned her and the child, named Sheila,” said the statement from Fitzgerald.

Fr Reynolds denied the allegations when they were put to him by an RTE reporter two weeks before the programme was broadcast.

His legal team contacted RTÉ on May 11th, repeated his denials and demanded the accusations and film not be broadcast and that he be given an immediate retraction and apology.

Prime Time then contacted the Galway priest’s solicitor and told him that they had a ‘very credible third party source and other independent evidence that the priest had contributed financially to the education of his alleged child’.

Bishop Sulumeti of the diocese of Kakamega in Kenya, where Fr Reynolds had worked, also contacted the programme makers. He described Fr Reynolds as ‘an exemplary priest and also denied the allegations.

Fitzgerald said: “In the 16 days between the interview with Fr Reynolds and the broadcast, RTÉ was afforded every opportunity to review its position and remove any reference to him from the programme.

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EamonnDublin | May 10, 2012, 01:04 PM EDT

"JuneAnnette" - You say that the Catholic church is "hated" in Ireland. Well, 84% stating in the latest census that they are Catholics doesn't seem like "hatred" to me. Where did YOU do YOUR survey? Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

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JuneAnnette | Nov 21, 2011, 02:32 PM EST

For the most part Roman Catholic apologists and defenders have denounced the VICTIMS of Clergy Abuse as greedy for seeking compensation for the irreparable harm that was done to their bodies and souls by Roman Catholic priests who abused children with impunity and immunity. They are continually told they must FORGIVE. So where is the FORGIVENESS on the part of this priest and those who are rallying around him? Why did he feel it necessary to sue for damages? This case is a stunning example of their blatant hypocrisy and demonstrates so vividly their failure to practice what they preach! SHAME ON THEM! Perhaps you would do well to thoughtfully and prayerfully reflect upon the timely words regarding HATE in the context of the RC "church" by one of your priests. There is simply no way that an institution so horriby tainted and so utterly mistrusted can or should speak in the name of Jesus Christ in Ireland, nor attempt to project spiritual and moral leadership. They helped teach Ireland to hate, to never forgive, to fear, to be suspicious. Now, they are the hated, and the ones who can never be forgiven, not even by their own people and not even in spite of many, many, many good and Godly works they have done for them."***Source: Irish Central / Article: Memo to Irish Catholic Church: Your services are no longer needed / Posted by Father Tim on 7/4/2009

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merefalow | Nov 21, 2011, 08:36 AM EST

its as bad to accuse falsely and without proof as it is to commit there dreadfull actions,to be accused of something like that and be innocent whether a priest or layman is possibly one of the worst things that could happen to a man..

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stanJames | Nov 20, 2011, 12:10 AM EST

Heres an interesting situation - Ireland has paid about $2billion re the rape of children by the church. Ireland also has about 6 million catholics. The USA has about 75 million and has only paid about $2 billion. Suggesting that we in the usa have only scratched the surface of the crimes against children.........I'm sure the hierarchy in the vatican is gloating over what this decision, right or wrong may mean for their crimes............The worst of course is how they endlessly covered up these crimes, even moving known vile priests to new locations where unknown, more children were made victims.................If the church gave a damn, the first thing that it would do is allow priests to marry or have Girlfriends . But with a hard as nails, back to the 5th century pope, dont hold your breath or they'll be holding a funeral ceremony for you. Data in the USA says that 5% of priests have raped children, and SNAP estimates that at least double that are guilty. In the general population, pedophiles are less then 1% of the population. Besides allowing the priest normal sexual activitiy, there seems to be an issue with religious leaders of all denominations..............For muslim kids, being raped is almost a rite of passage. Happens in the Jewish church also. Google "southern baptists - child molestation and be horrified once again.........its all about power gone wild, and what is the highest power then those who claim to speak for / to God.

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stanJames | Nov 19, 2011, 11:57 PM EST

Assuming this is all true, the problem is that it will encourage rape of children by priests and others. Knowing that without multiple eye witnesses, the victim will not dare rat out the victimizer.

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merefalow | Nov 19, 2011, 02:54 PM EST

the worst accusation a man could be accused of,no one should be accused without the chance of defense,and published in prominence..

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merefalow | Nov 19, 2011, 01:52 PM EST

A recent indicator of RTE's anti-Catholic bias is that it has not even mentioned the fact that three American universities have now been implicated in child abuse scandals. This omission applies not only to RTE, but to the Irish media in general. They obviously realise only too well that child abuse in institutions other than the Catholic church dilutes the media's policy of pointing the finger at the Catholic church as the sole offender in this area. That tiny minority of priests who committed these evil acts have a lot for which to answer: they not only caused untold misery to their victims, they also have provided the media with all the ammunition it requires in its efforts to bring down the Catholic church. Éamonn, Dublin.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 19, 2011, 11:14 AM EST

This case was about a non-existent African baby. RTE also disgraced itself in another case involving a non-existent African baby. This was the case of Pamela, the Nigerian fraudster who claimed that a baby of hers, 'Elizabeth' had died as a result of female circumcision in Africa. She used this in a lengthy and costly (to Irish taxpayers) legal process to thwart Ireland's effort to kick her out of the country. RTE incompetent and sloppy "journalist" (sic) Philip Boucher Hayes made an "investigative" program in which he corroborated her story. This was used by sundry Mass Immigrationists to whip up a "Let Her Stay" campaign. But er... it turned out later that her story was made up baloney. The intrepid Boucher-Hayes had just swallowed a turd, a large one! Needless to remark to anyone who knows Ireland or its worthless "national" (sic) broadcaster, the fool Boucher-Hayes was not sanctioned or demoted in any way. Ditto will apply for the liar and libeller Aoife Kavanagh and all the faceless men and women who collaborated with her in her crime.

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JOHNTOBIN | Nov 18, 2011, 10:31 PM EST

I wonder how many other lives and careers have been ruined by false allegations of abuse.Lets face it,much of the media of the world is anti-Catholic in tone and presentation.

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quixotic | Nov 18, 2011, 07:28 PM EST

As a Catholic I am troubled by the issues facing the Church and am disgusted with those who try to defend or minimize it. My Uncle was an OMI and a great man. But, when someone is reckless in their charges they confuse the whole issue and cause significant harm. The punishment will help those priests who do so much good; it is not enough for the harm the reporter did.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 18, 2011, 04:15 PM EST

"who called her an utter fool". Don't worry, curpeter. I'd do the same for you.

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sirpeter | Nov 18, 2011, 03:43 PM EST

Jacers lol.You must have had a rush of blood there in your second comment.Then suddenly realized you called JuneAnnette a longwinded bigoted anti-Catholic.hahaha.Plus agreeing with Georgie boy who called her an utter fool.hahaha I know you meant well though.

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jacersagain | Nov 18, 2011, 02:22 PM EST

Must remind myself of that advice!

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jacersagain | Nov 18, 2011, 02:21 PM EST

May I suggest that IrishCentral take a leaf out of the Association of Catholic Priests website and advise all posters here in the way the ACP do: When writing a comment - Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger; Use appropriate language. Vulgarities, slurs and insults are not welcome. Keep to the point; deliberate digressions don't aid the discussion.

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jacersagain | Nov 18, 2011, 02:15 PM EST

Unusually for me, I have to agree w/ George Dillon. Except that it won’t be the tax-payers who’ll pay but us Irish TV licence-payers. And the compensation sum is said to be much higher than $1.5m... try $5m. @EamonnDublin – sorry to hear you suffered that way. Don’t pay any attention to JuneAnnette, few do anymore after all her longwinded bigoted anti-Catholic rants on ICentral which she throws up every time the word Catholic appears on this site. She says she was once a Catholic; but now we all see she’s a brainwashed lost lamb. Don’t get angry w/ her; pity her. I agree totally with yr response to her btw.

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