The High Court has approved a settlement of €25,000 in the case of a then two-year-old girl who was knocked down when the door of a confession box fell on her during mass.
The court was told it was claimed the door of the confession box at Oblates Church in Inchicore was unhinged when it fell on Zofia Adamczyk trapping her underneath.
Senior Counsel Robert Beatty told the High Court the girl was attending mass with her mother when the accident happened on 4 March 2011.
He said the door weighed about 15kg and had to be lifted off the child by a number of people. It was traumatising incident and she had also struck her head on the stump of a Christmas tree, he said.
Ms Adamczyk, who is now aged 16, from Saggart, Co Dublin, had through her father Andrzej Adamczyk sued a Fr Oliver Barry over the accident.
It was claimed that the door to the confessional fell on top of her after she tried to open it. It was alleged there was a failure to take adequate precautions for the child's safety or to ensure there were warning signs that the confessional was under renovation.
The toddler was later diagnosed as suffering from head pain and she had bumps to her head along with some restriction in side-to-side movement as well as bruising and tenderness.
She later had panic attacks and claustrophobia which it was claimed had a severe impact on her daily life.
Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said he was satisfied it was fair and reasonable.
