450 children abused by 152 priests in 1 diocese; CHURCH.

Byline: AINE HEGARTY

UP to 450 children suffered sick abuse at the hands of 152 paedophile priests in Dublin, a "shocking and horrific" report will reveal.

A damning file on the abuse was handed over to the South's Justice Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday detailing how evil clerics preyed on vulnerable children in the Dublin Archdiocese.

But it has emerged Mr Ahern may not be able to publish the entire report immediately because it names three priests who are awaiting trial for abuse.

He is consulting the Attorney General on the issue and said: "I don't want to do anything that would cause people to get off if they were supposed to be brought before the courts."

But survivor Andrew Madden said: "A way needs to be found for this report to be published sooner rather than later."

The dossier will name 15 priests, 11 who have been convicted in the courts and four who are already well known.

The Commission headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy investigated a sample of 46 priests who had complaints made against them over three decades since 1975.

It also probed how 19 bishops, seven of whom are dead, often moved monster priests to other parishes where they were free to carry on abusing.

John Kelly of Survivors of Child Abuse said: "This report is going to be not only damning, it'll show they simply protected the institution of the Church.

'The state is just as bad in their response.

"I think the Church really needs to reinvent itself."

CAPTION(S):

SURVIVOR Andrew Madden