VINCENT NICHOLS TRIED TO LOOK KOOL WHEN HE APPEARED BEFORE THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE – BUT HE WAS EXPOSED AS A CYNICAL OPERATOR.
On a number of occasions I actually verbally express my exasperation and shock at what he said.
One of those occasions was when he said that “A MORAL CONVICTION CANNOT OVERRIDE LEGAL PROCEDURES”!
One would have thought that for a Christian moral convictions should be the most important of one’s convictions.
But not for Vinny. Like so many of his colleagues they must the so called “good name” of the RC Church before anything else – including the justice, truth and the suffering of victims.
He failed miserably to answer the Inquiry’s legal representatives who put it to him that while he was speaking fine words on child protection his actions contradicted those words.
It became clear, for instance, that when to appointing a new Child Protection Officer Nichols and Birmingham archdiocese did not, as they should have, advertised the post, but gave a favoured member of staff, who was not fully trained, a tap on the shoulder appointment. This is of course what RC bishops and dioceses do all over the place.
The Inquiry also played to Vinny a recording of a Birmingham victim criticising Vinny himself and calling his a “so called cardinal”. During this time Vinny looked flushed and decidedly uncomfortable. He was fidgeting and nervous.
It also emerged that Nichols, like archbishops before him, had kept a 1968 sexual accusation against a priest hidden from victims and their legal representatives.
The barristers for the victims spoke at the end of Nichol’s evidence and they were scathing about him.
They said he was like the Three Monkeys – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
One of the vicar generals of Birmingham had warned a priest that the police were coming for him and gave him money to escape to the USA.
They said that Nichols had misled the parishioners of a Father Jones.
Birmingham was giving a paedophile priest – Father Robinson – £800 a month or £9,600 a year for his upkeep and were giving one of his victims £100 a year for counselling!
They said that the RC Church cannot be trusted with child protection and that a new civil body should be set up to inspect the RC Church,
As people on this blog have said, Nichols is suave and thinks he is clever.
However Thursday’s televised interrogation proved that Nichols is like the rest of them. He is an RC Church hack – who will do what is necessary to protect the Church and help his career prospects.
What Vinny needs to realise is that the interrogation he got on Thursday is child’s play to the interrogation he will receive on the day he dies and appears before the infinitely just God.
“What would it profit a man if he gained the whole world (including Westminster and a red hat) and suffered the loss of his own soul”.
Vinny has long ago sold his soul to his Roman Mistress.
Let him enjoy his short lived rewards.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 
58 replies on “VIN NICHOLS DISGRACES HIMSELF AT ABUSE INQUIRY”
Oh good this is music to my ears. He screwed me over here in Birmingham and that picture has made my day. 😃
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I was also amazed at his comment regarding moral feelings or convictions taking a back seat to legal procedures or legal due process.
Doesn’t sound very morally convicted!
The Gospel can be suspended will nilly or nilly willy!
He also mentioned he had seen two victims of CSA per year over the last number of years.
There’s tokenism if ever!
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+ Nichols appearance before IICSA was an excruciating watch. He looked like a man who has had the stuffing knocked out of him, and rather than a confident, suave, persuasive proponent of his own agenda and that of the Church, he was on the back food, having to agree that in hindsight he should have done things differently and made different decisions. I lost count of the number of times he acknowledged that he had got it wrong and would act differently today. Or so he said. It’s always hard to know what + Nichols really thinks or feels.
On the crucial matter of the 1968 (not 1998) memo that was not disclosed in the civil case that was being brought, his reasons for not disclosing this crucial aspect were simply not convincing: “I was focused on settling the case”, he claimed. In other words, he wanted the matter put to bed as quickly as possible, to get it out of the way, and introducing another material element in to the case would frustrate that overriding drive. Even though the complainant in justice should have known about the history of Fr. Tolkien in order to come to a fair settlement.
The Tolkien family were also lurking in the background, and they were intent at the time in ensuring that Fr Tolkien’s name was kept out of the public sphere for fear of damaging the business of the Tolkien family and its Trust, which earned much money not just for the family, but I suspect in a circuitous way for the Archdiocese. + Nichols gave in to that and allowed the Tolkiens to pressure him and materially affect his decision making. And, I have no doubt that money from the Trust and the family were at the bottom of that.
And there is lots, lots more. But, the overriding impression I took away from + Nichols’ appearance at IICSA was of a man who has been brought low, and who somewhat reluctantly has had to eat a lot of humble pie and recognise that he has not always been the sure pair of hands that he thought he was. As to the future ? Well, I reckon, just like the MayBot Prime Minister over here, he has been holed below the water line and in due course he will be made to sink slowly from view. The hope and desire of days of sunset glory in Rome have slipped away, and I suspect that + Nichols will retire a little early and disappear from the scene in Westminster. I’m not sure I detect much sympathy for + Nichols. His history of over-confidence, arrogance, sniffy superiority, and his ability to spin anything and sound and look plausible, as well as his dropping of people who no longer serve his purposes, has eroded any residual loyalty or sympathy for him. He looks a lonely and isolated man.
Political careers always seem to end in failure and disappointment. It is looking as though ecclesiastical careers are going the same way.
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An excellent summary.
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So what happens next
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It’s a case of hold onto your hats and hope for the best!
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Vincent is a cold, horrible calculating man. Apart from his nun, he has no friends.
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Never mind about the Conservative self-immolation taking place and people on manoeuvres and positioning themselves for their best advantage for the keys to No 10. I suspect that there will be various bishops in E & W who are beginning to think strategy for taking over in Westminster. Stock of Leeds. Longley of Birmingham. That awful Gestapo Nazi look alike in Salford, Arnold. Any other quality characters about ? And a clutch more. Well, I think they had better be careful of what they wish for. And they had better make sure that they are squeaky clean and that their past record, decisions, behaviour etc. will all stand scrutiny. Ambition will win out, I suspect, however. Oh, sorry, vocation, God’s will, the call to serve…..as they would put it !
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Any man aspiring to become a bishop in the contemporary Rc Church requires psychological assessment and fast!
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Its full of men aspiring to be bishops.
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A lot of these church bureaucrats who rise to “the top” are soulless men.
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@11:06; If it’s full of men aspiring to be Bishops, it’s full of men out of touch with the real world; delusional careerists who definitely need psychological assessment. Maybe they’re just sadomasochistic types!
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(Yaaawn, and stretch😩) Now. Who or what is on today’s agenda?
Vin Diesel.
WHAT?! 😨
(Puts on glasses) Vin Nichols.
Ack! I’m away back t’ sleep. 😵
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Oh, so that is the handsome bald man you have on so many pinups in your bedroom, Magna darling.
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Mommie Dearest, must you tell all and sundry (especially sundry?) 😕
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10.01: And we’re hoping you’ll stay in bed forever, never to see the light of day. That aside and on a serious note. As I said yesterday, as a priest I am appalled at all the revelations being brought to the public domain of investigation. The concern of vuctims/survuvirs is of greater relevance and I hope, really hope that, now they see individuals who played any part in their abuse are being publicly questioned. It is a beginning of justice for them. I do not gloat over anyone’s public downfall or humiliation, but the almost indescribable hurt, betrayal and pain of survivors is of paramount importance and whatever brings justice and some healing to them must be pursued. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, as I prepare my homily I’m wondering yet again about my relevance. It becomes difficult to present with credibility in the face of so many crises and revelations. For now I must hope and pray for all who suffer and work to ensure my own conversion of heart and seek to be a more true and courageous Christ bearer…..
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Preach about Cardinal Pell, his victims and how your faith and spirituality is hurt by it all.
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As someone who has been very deeply wounded by the Rc Church, the spiritual abuse I have had to deal with has been appalling. These clerics and lay cheerleaders have no idea of what I, and numerous other people like me, have had to deal with in life as a consequence of clerical crime.
God has no favorites.
I’m as equally precious in the eyes of God as any Pope or cleric.
Far too many personnel in Bellarmines Holy Mother Church don’t seem to give a fiddlers and are solely preoccupied with PR exercises, minimising, denials, covering up and protecting assets.
The reputation of the Rc Church is shoot and fundamental changes need to occur.
The Pope, while in Ireland, apparently told bishops to tell the truth re abuse.
Nice media sound byte…the reality is these guys don’t even answer letters!
It’s business as usual boys!
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…and add in O’Brien, McCormick, Coccopalmerio (him of the gay drug taking parties) etc. etc., and you probably have a few local clergy that fit the bill as well in your diocese, I am sure !
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😢
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Anonymous at 11:22
Oh! what a whinger you are, if you were being spiritually abused you should have told them where to go! I certainly would have, and if it was any other sort of abuse I would kick them so hard they would not be able to abuse anyone again. There has been too many changes, what we need is back to fundamentals and discipline in the formation of students for the priesthood. The students and the lecturers should be kept under constant supervision so that none of these abuses that we hear about ad infinitum can happen. Stand up for yourself bully’s always back off when you do. And bye the way it is not my Holy Mother The Church, She is every FAITHFUL Catholic’s Mother.
Evviva Maria!
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The Irish Church, in my view is leaderless; aimlessly drifting, fearful of the next criminal disclosure; and there will be more disclosures.
However the inquisitorial mentality is alive and kicking, and don’t they just like to kick; with appalling contributions on this blog, many from clerics. The anger and nastiness and unchristian comments are appalling from individuals who profess to be professional Christians!
‘Love your enemies’
…not to be taken seriously lads!
Is it any wonder!
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12.20: I think you’ll find, to your surprise maybe, that many abusive, horrible and nasty contributions are by peole other than clerics, those with axes to grind and they are vicious. There are clerics too who are disgruntled, angry and nasty. So, the inquusitorial nature comes from many quarters. I also believe that some contributors respond to their own comments over and over again. You can tell by the language and narrative. This approach does nothing for victims/survivors of abuse. Nothing.
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Only yesterday a male victim of anal rape by a living priest got in touch with this blog. I will be helping him bring his criminal and civil cases. So the blog is clearly helping victims.
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Who had Bishop Pats blog shut down? Members of the hierarchy displaying censorship and their inquisitional dictatorial mentality.
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‘Clerics too who are disgruntled, angry and nasty..’
That’s putting it mildly; minimize as usual.
The nasty, vicious and profoundly unchristian comments from some clerics directed at Bp. Pat are appalling.
I suspect it’s because Bp. Pat, as he’s expelled , is deeply resented for ‘telling tales out of school.’
The hypocrisy, the double lives, the immorality of some clerics is being highlighted and that’s a no no.
That’s a cardinal clerical sin! 👿
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@10:51; Bellarmine; you have absolutely no idea of the nature of the abuse I experienced.
The spiritual abuse was a consequence. I know from experience how ROTTEN catholic clergy can be including bishops and their lay minions. How DARE you belittle what I experienced. It’s because of lay people like you that the Church has got away with criminality, with idiots in lay professions aiding and abetting and enabling clergy and hierarchy commit and get away with crime. You and people like you are clueless. Holy Mother Church has too many personnel who couldn’t give a toss about anyone but themselves. You’re living in the past, in a triumphalist Church, that was probably as rotten as the contemporary church. The church is NEVER going back to that idealized notional triumphalist Church you long for Bellarmine.
Students and lectures kept under supervision!
How silly 🙃 infantile and juvenile can you get! 🤪
You haven’t a clue Bellarmine, you haven’t a clue!
I’m as faithful a Catholic as you’d find Bellarmine.
But, I’m anything but naive when it comes to Holy Mother Church and her clergy!
Magna uses colorful language a lot, but do you know what Bellarmine; Magna is right in most of his comments most of the time! That’s why the clergy and silly 😝 lay people are obnoxious to him.
God bless Bellarmine. 😎
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Nichols is a company man trying to put the best gloss on himself and company practices.
He must have felt very uncomfortable being made account. He looked particularly uncomfortable and stressed,with a visible rise in blood pressure , when the recording of a victim was played.
Maybe it’s time some members of the Irish hierarchy were made to account publicly in a similar manner and not hide behind enquiries.
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Indeed. In fact he used the word gloss several times.
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MournemanMichael:
Cardinal Pell’s exposure as a sexual predator prompts my mind to the same questions I posed earlier this year relating to Finnegan’s abuse at St Colmans Newry.
A significant number of RC clerics are being regularly exposed as sexual predators. Such behaviour explicitly contradicts the tenets of their church’s religious requirements. More significantly, it contradicts the specific requirements of their celibate clerical state.
Is it reasonable to explain such longstanding repeated extended abuse as simply occasional or one-off lapses from otherwise moral probity? How can one explain such extensive abuse other than to accept that those abusers have consciously abandoned the requirements of both their professed religious beliefs and the more particular specific requirements of their clerical position?
Where abusive clerics have thus set aside and ignored such requirements, would it be reasonable to assume those abusive clerics do not believe in the religious and moral requirements of their professed religion concerning sexual propriety?
Would it be reasonable to assume that where these abusive clerics ignore their church’s teachings on such matters, that there is a high probability that they similarly ignore many other aspects of their professed religious beliefs?
Yes, indeed the fall of the “high and mighty” RC clerics begs many questions.
For my part, I believe that a considerable number of clerics naively embarked on the seminary route with best altruistic intentions, but now, years later, simply do not themselves believe half of the religious codswallop they publically profess to promote by reason of their position. And apart from the purely religious belief aspects, they have less and less belief and trust in the RC church hierarchical framework on which they are dependent. They find themselves in a prominent public role fulfilling the tribal customs of ‘hatching, matching and dispatching’, esconsed in a fairly comfortable lifestyle, but becoming increasingly redundant and trapped for lack of viable alternatives.
While I acknowledge there are indeed clerics of high moral calibre faithfully observing their original calling and beliefs, I wonder what proportion of the overall church clerical establishment they represent?
MMM
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MMM, You ask some important questions.
In my experience, many priests never mature, emotionally, sexually, socially or intellectually.
They continue to live in the adolescent and post adolescent culture they experience in the seminary for 6/7 years.
They are formed to think of themselves as special and after ordination the laity continue to regard them as special and apart.
I have always been shocked at clerical gatherings at the immagurigy of the conversations- blue jokes, sex, golf and football.
If you bring up theology, spirituality etc you are laughed at and ridiculed.
They soon pass from a childish piety to a selective agnosticism.
They have had celibacy imposed on them and if they have not explored sex in the seminary they do it in parishes etc with men and women.
They may want to leave the priesthood later, but where in your 40s and 50s will you get a job, a place to live and the comfortable lifestyle of a priest. Many stay because of the fear of survival.
The whole situation is a human disaster.
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Pat, you yourself are an absolute paragon, the quintessential blueprint, of the fully mature and well-integrated-at-every-level cleric.
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No I am not. But I did not conform in the seminary. As a very young priest I was knocked off my comfortable clerical perch which forced me to address things like insecurity, financial difficulty, the sense of being an outsider etc.
I also realised that I needed therapy about various aspects of my life and engaged in it for 5 years.
I am no paragon or model. But I am “real” and I live in the “real” world.
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I think your comment is spot on Bishop Pat.
I also think seminary ‘formation’, locking predominantly young men from ‘the world’ and hothousing them in a homosocial milieu is daft and needs radically transformation.
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That is absolutely correct, in a nutshell.
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4.14: A rather over generalised judgment Pat! You don’t exactly personify the “mature cleric”. You aren’t even masculine looking in photos. You have some cheek – big cheek – to implicitly imply that you’ve got it all in terms of emotional, sexual and spiritual completion! Many clerics I know are very caring, kind and well adjusted human beings, some having gone through their own personal struggles. I have heard many priests preach out of the depth of their human struggle and they have always inspired. You do not have a monopoly of “manhood maturity”. Quite the opposite in fact but you can look at your own life and draw your own conclusions. When you study psychology in depth, as I have, you might understand more intelligently the deficits in your own life.
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At least Elsie never stunk the place out.
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How do you know..?😷
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Elsie has the most horrible breath, she certainly stunk the place out. The Clergy made one of their own senior lot in the end tell him about it. He was nicknamed at one point by the Westminster clergy as ‘Cac breath’.
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She’ll have to do something about it, Bp Pat.
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The comment at 4:20pm was made with one’s tongue firmly in cheek 😂
Buckley a model of maturity and integration? As if! 😂
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He may well have had a dose of the Tennessee trots but was possibly wearing an extra large jumbo size diaper for caca containment!
These guys are developing expertise in containing caca! 😷
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Who is Elsie?
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Vincent Nichols
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No wonder some clerics think they can do what they want when they see the examples of the princes of their church
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Priest at teenager’s funeral condemns suicide:
https://eu.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/12/14/hullibarger-bedford-suicide-gofundme/2308094002/
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@9:42pm What a sad story, but i’m glad it was told and that you shared it.
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The journalist Robert Mickens highlighted this story and it has now been taken up by the BBC.
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To 9.27
Appreciate your reply
Many thanks
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@9:34;
So you’ve studied psychology in depth! So what…?
The comment made at 4:14 is based on experience and the word ‘many’ is used…not to mention, the man said he’d spent 5 years in therapy on personal work.
But you go into defensive mode and make extrapolations and personal nasty remarks.
Are you a Priest? Have you issues of your own re your own masculinity or sexuality? I suggest you apply your in-depth psychological insight to yourself and don’t be so nasty. Your nastiness sounds like projected repressed anger !
Psycho-emotional and psycho-sexual issues/ difficulties and the abuse of power are rampart in the Priesthood.
The evidence speaks for itself.
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10.40: I am not a priest but I make the point that Pat makes very wide swerping judgments about others , often unintelligently and without researched data. He plays “god” too much. He plays loosely with the truth. If he can judge, so can I but judgment is not my raison d’etre. Pat presents himself as the epitome of priesthood. I have encountered many broken priests in my profession and I believe all of us, irrespective of our profession, are better human beings when we face our own inner wounds. I meet people from all walks of life. Priests are no different from the spectrum of psychological problems I deal with. I chose this area of work as a result of personal trauma, so I’ve searched my own heart, life and conscience profoundly. While I accept some of Pat’s criticisms, his attacks on priests who are struggling is nasty and unacceptable. He does not have a monopoly on insight or compassion.
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@12:26;
The comment at 4:14 was based on his experience. Where does the man present himself as the epitome of Priesthood?
We are all wounded but not all of us are criminals or cover up and enable crime or live inauthentic hypocritical double lives. Don’t be so nasty in replying to comments; it’s not Christlike.
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You sound very much like a Priest Sir.
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Why is Fr Michael Dorgan suddenly stepping down as PP of Castlemagner in Cloyne diocese?
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Archdeacon Casey, who is a PE, has been drafted into Castlemagner as an Adm, ad tem.
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The only thing on Nichols’ mind is whether this will affect his chances of securing election to the Papacy at the next conclave.
His responses to the inquiry should encourage the cardinal electors to seriously consider him as a main contender for the triple tiara.
He will definitely look suave wearing that piece of medieval attire; Definitely reflects his replies
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I sort of wish the yah boo sucks comments could cease; in exposing clerical crimes the bishop is neither holding himself up as a paragon of virtue nor disputing that there are many decent holy priests out there.
I was raped repeatedly and often by Finnegan and MMM is right it wasn’t a secret; i’m not saying every single detail was know n but the generality was. the then bishop discussed with my father about me being removed to another school; in the bishop’s mind this was to protect me.
I am in awe of the contact of bishop buckley who is going to press charges; I’m not quite there yet
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I’m sorry to say it..but corruption surrounds this inquiry into historical child sexual abuse. Particularly the Westminster Investigation
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