We’ve blogged a bit on the documentary Deliver Us From Evil, to go into release here tomorrow – the film focuses on one Irish priest, O’Grady, who worked in the Stockton diocese. When I last blogged about this, I said that the most valuable thing about the film would be the presentation of the filmed depositions of Mahony. The rest I wasn’t sure about. Now, from a reader in Ireland, comes this:
There is a significant controversy brewing here in Ireland that directly relates to Deliver us from Evil which opens in cinemas in the US tomorrow.
The trailer for the movie shows Oliver O’Grady, self confessed abusing priest, looking at children in a public playground and talking about how aroused they make him.
Significantly, the trailer also shows a particular primary school in Dublin , including close ups of some children who are wearing identifying name badges.
Amy Berg, the director of the film, claims that permission for showing this footage was obtained by the Irish production company. The production company claims that the only footage they ever provided for her was an empty classroom with no children and they claim that Amy Berg took this footage secretly.
The school in question is now furious at what has happened. They claim that they gave the film makers permission to make a documentary about multiculturalism in Irish schools. They were then subsequently contacted and told that the footage was to be used for a film about child abuse, and the school specifically told the film makers that they had no permission to use footage of the school or footage identifying young children, for this purpose. The film makers went ahead anyway and ignored the school. The school is now examining its legal options.
This will be a big story here.
The key point is this – by putting O’Grady near young children and having him talk about how they arouse him, and by showing footage of young children wearing name badges, they are putting children in danger for the sake of sensationalism and have exposed their own sleaziness.
A lot of this came out on a radio programme this lunchtime called Liveline. You can hear it at http://www.rte.ie/radio1/liveline/
It’s all dealt with in the first 15 minutes – when you go onto the site just click on Thursday’s programme. They haven’t uploaded today’s programme yet as it only ended half an hour ago but it should be up in a few hours. I will keep an eye on it and let you know when it is uploaded.
More:
Now, at this stage of course it’s all unproven, but:
1. Amy Berg wouldn’t come onto the show
2. The teachers union has gotten in on the act and has criticised Berg, defending the school, accepting its word that the footage was shown without permission.
In any event, it is worth watching the trailer – there is one particular child who is shown up close and his name badge can be read. How appropriate is that? Even more damning is footage of O’Grady peering over a fence at kids in a public park in Dublin city centre when he is talking about how they arouse him. It is downright irresponsible and is tantamount to almost placing temptation in O’Grady’s path. O’Grady isn’t on the sex offenders register here and is not under any official supervision by the authorities.
In fact, his whereabouts are unknown and he could be back abusing again.
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