Bishop Nikol Cauchi is "fully" associating himself with Gozo Bishop Mario Grech's apology to those who suffered abuse at Lourdes Home in Għajnsielem if these incidents took place under his tenure.

"I am not in a position to pass judgment on the findings of the new report because I have not seen it and do not know its contents," Mgr Cauchi said, when contacted.

"However, from what I have seen and read in the media, it found - after re-examining the issue and hearing new evidence - that some abuses did take place at the home. If this happened during my tenure as Bishop of Gozo, I fully associate myself with Mgr Grech in apologising to the victims."

The home, run by Dominican nuns, has come in for criticism after a report commissioned by Mgr Grech to investigate allegations of physical and psychological abuse confirmed that "in some particular cases there had been inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should have never taken place".

Back in 1981, Mgr Cauchi had himself issued regulations for all children's homes in Gozo that were dependent on the Curia, including Lourdes Home. These were published in the diocesan bulletin Atti tal-Kurja and included provisions to safeguard children's education, upbringing and spiritual formation.

With regard to discipline, section 15 states that moderate forms of punishment used at that time in schools or within families were permissible - such as denying them recreation time. However, corporal punishment was totally prohibited.

When certain allegations against the nuns surfaced in 1999, Mgr Cauchi, who was then Bishop of Gozo, felt he had to probe the matter further.

"I received letters from certain people who claimed to be victims. Some of them also came to speak to me at the Curia. Simultaneously, I also met a number of other people who declared they were treated well when they resided at Lourdes Home during the same period in which the alleged abuses were said to have happened.

"Since there were conflicting pleas, it was not clear who was telling the truth so I delegated two members of the Diocesan Tribunal to gather evidence and make recommendations to guide me."

He said that although this team established that some disciplinary measures were sometimes imposed on children who misbehaved, they did not exceed the norms of what was acceptable at the time.

"The team also told me that there were not any significant breaches of the 1981 regulations. It is for these reasons that I did not take the matter further," he added.

The Times reported last week that the Dominican nuns implicated in the abuse of children at Lourdes Home were being moved elsewhere and would be prohibited from working with minors. Sources had said this was standard procedure whenever such incidents occurred.

The future of the home is uncertain as a tug of war goes on between the nuns, who have informed Aġenzija Appoġġ they cannot continue running the home, and Mgr Grech who wants it to remain open at all costs.

Mgr Cauchi said while abuse could never be excused, he still felt the diocese owed a debt of gratitude "for the good number of nuns living or dead, who, since 1952 when the home was opened, dedicated their life to conscientiously serve the children who were entrusted to their care".