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Paedophile priest Brendan Smyth told a doctor he may have sexually abused hundreds of children, an inquiry has heard.

The notorious cleric made the admission in February 1994 - the year he was jailed for his crimes.

He said: “Over the years of religious life it could be that I have sexually abused between 50 and 100 children. That number could even be doubled or perhaps even more.”

Northern Ireland’s long-running Historical Abuse Inquiry is holding a focused module into how Smyth, a member of the Norbertine Order, was allowed to continue offending for more than four decades.

Joseph Aiken, counsel for the inquiry, said it was the first time the serial child molester’s comments had been made public, the Irish Mirror reports.

Mr Aiken said: “The story that’s about to unfold over the coming days is steeped in deep and prolonged human suffering of the abused.

(Image: Steve Humphreys IRISH INDEPENDENT)

“The inquiry will have to consider whether it is also a story of a litany of missed opportunities to properly deal with Smyth by a significant number of individuals who were themselves in positions of considerable trust, power and influence not only over him, his victims and their families.”

Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart is leading the HIA inquiry, one of the UK’s largest inquiries into physical, sexual and emotional harm to children at homes run by the church, state and voluntary organisations.

Smyth, who was at the centre of one of the first clerical child sex abuse scandals to rock the Catholic Church, was convicted of 117 indecent assaults in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the 1960s to the 1990s.

He frequented Catholic residential homes and groomed children with sweets and trips away.

He died from a heart attack in prison in the Republic of Ireland in August 1997.

Despite allegations being previously investigated by church officials, including the former Irish primate, Cardinal Sean Brady, as far back as 1975, it was almost 20 years before he was jailed.

Instead the cleric was moved between parishes, dioceses and even countries where he preyed on victims who were as young as eight.

In a statement, Fr William Fitzgerald, from the Norbertine order, said Smyth should never have been ordained into the priesthood.

He said: “I accept that Brendan Smyth was not a fit person to have access to children at any time or under any circumstance.

“I am ashamed by the failure as a community to hear these warnings and act accordingly. The shame of our failings is immense.”

The HIA inquiry is being heard at Banbridge Courthouse, Co Down.

Smyth’s abuse has already been described by a number of witnesses who have previously given evidence to the inquiry.

This week’s module will therefore concentrate on an examination of what opportunities there were to prevent Smyth carrying out the abuse of children and the inquiry panel will consider whether any action, or inaction, amounted to systemic failings.

The module is expected to last for a week.

In one of three statements provided to the inquiry Cardinal Brady said: “Sadly at that time there was a culture within the church of secrecy and silence and it was felt that matters could be dealt with within the church structures.

“There was not a proper understanding of the devastating consequences of child abuse. Many of the bishops believed that psychiatric treatment of the individual perpetrator was an adequate response. The full horror and long-lasting impact of such criminal behaviour has now been grasped.”

Cardinal Brady is due to give oral evidence later in the week.

The inquiry was formally established in January 2013 by the Northern Ireland Executive.