An RTE sketch aired on New Year’s Eve that depicted God as having raped Mary breached editorial guidelines and statutory obligations. The item attracted thousands of complaints.
The conclusion was arrived at by the station’s own Editorial Standards Board .
In a statement, RTÉ said the review found that the sketch did not comply with several provisions.
These included Section 39 (1) (d) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and the BAI Code of Programme Standards in relation to material that causes “undue offence”.
It also did not comply with provision of Principle 5 in the above Code (Respect for Persons and Groups in Society) regarding “due respect” for religious beliefs.
RTÉ Director General, Dee Forbes, accepted the findings and offered a full apology.
The station will report itself to the BAI and has taken down the clip from the RTE player.
