Former Archbishop Paul Cremona has categorically denied claims that money was offered to an alleged victim of clerical sex abuse to buy her silence.

A spokesman for the Archbishop’s Curia described as “completely false” the claims made by one of the alleged victims that Mgr Cremona had offered her money to bury the allegations.

The Sunday Times of Malta broke the story last week that the priest is to be charged in court after a woman claimed he sexually abused her during a relationship spanning a number of years. The Dominican Order on Thursday named the priest as Fr Charles Fenech, the 54-year-old director of the Kerygma Movement.

In comments to this newspaper, the victim, in her 40s, had claimed that a member of the clergy had offered her a six-figure sum in return for her silence. She alleged that the abuse took place while she was being treated at Mount Carmel Hospital.

Although she initially mentioned Mgr Cremona in connection with this claim, the alleged victim is now saying the former Archbishop had offered her money but never specified the amount.

Asked for a reaction, the Curia spokesman said the “assertion” was “completely false” and Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona never offered any sum of money to people claiming abuse. He also denied that the case was a factor in Mgr Cremona's resignation.

Fr Fenech is denying the claims about him.

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