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 alleges 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”.

“The alleged victim’s claim is completely false. Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona never offered any sum of money to people claiming abuse,” the spokesman said in reply to questions by this newspaper.

Questioned on whether the case, which involved a senior member of the same order to which Mgr Cremona belongs, had been one of the reasons why he had decided to step down as Archbishop, the spokesman insisted Mgr Cremona had resigned “for health reasons”.

The Church’s Response Team, which had been set up to investigate such claims involving priests, has been investigating the allegations for the past eight years.

After this newspaper broke the news that the priest was facing criminal charges, Fr Fenech was stopped from exercising his duties and removed from his posts.

The Response Team responsible for such delays is perpetrating great injustice to all concerned

In a statement, the Dominican Order said it had warned him several times and it took (unspecified) measures about him. But it also pointed out that claims against him had been withdrawn several times.

In his column in The Sunday Times of Malta today (page 23), Fr Joe Borg is critical of the Church’s approach to this issue.

He said: “The public outcry following reporting of yet another story of this kind is understandable.

“What is not understandable is how the Dominican Order – while fully respecting his presumption of innocence – deemed fit to relieve him of his duties only because now the allegations have become public.

“One of the two Response Teams of the Church has been investigating such allegations for the past eight years.

“This is totally unacceptable, nay it is simply scandalous. Such protraction by the Response Team is unfair to the accused, to the alleged victim and to the Church. The Response Team responsible for such delays is perpetrating great injustice to all concerned.”

The incidents are alleged to have taken place at various locations over a period of years. The priest is also being accused of holding the woman against her will and committing indecent acts in public.

The police are also investigating claims of sexual abuse against the priest made by other women.

His defence lawyers have insisted the priest is denying all the allegations.