The Presbyterian Church in Ireland did not keep records of a child sex abuse case in Co Donegal that was reported to ministers years before the church\u2019s current crisis, a safeguarding expert has told the BBC.<\/p>\n
Ian Elliott (pictured above) said when he tried to find out if the alleged victims from the Donegal parish had received counselling, no records could be found at PCI headquarters.<\/p>\n
The BBC has also seen a document indicating the Church had not reported the case to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na when it was first raised.<\/p>\n
The Presbyterian Church said it could not comment due to a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) investigation, but has \u201copenly admitted failures\u201d in its safeguarding procedures.<\/p>\n
Mr Elliott, an internationally recognised expert in safeguarding, told BBC Spotlight Northern Ireland that he was asked by the Church\u2019s headquarters to assist with the case in 2015.<\/p>\n
At the time a minister told him that an adult member of a congregation in Donegal, who had since died, had abused several children decades earlier, but no action had been taken.<\/p>\n