The Church of Ireland has settled a historic abuse case for £100,000 the Belfast Telegraph reports.
Eddie Gorman (61) reached a settlement in his case against Church of Ireland parish priest and scout leader Bill Neely for alleged historic abuse that he claimed took place at Mount Merrion parish in east Belfast and a campsite in Co Down in the 1970s.
Neely took up a position in the Republic of Ireland as a priest in Co Tipperary in 1976 and died in 2009.
Mr. Gorman subsequently sued the Church of Ireland’s Diocese of Down and Dromore and the Scouts Association, alleging negligence.
The case was settled for £100,000 in damages, without any admission of liability.
Mr. Gorman’s solicitor highlighted the significance of the resolution, pointing to the widespread incidence of historic clerical abuse across denominations.
Mr. Gorman added that he hopes the outcome will encourage other victims to come forward and supports calls for a full inquiry into clerical abuse in Northern Ireland.
