ANGER AS PAEDO’S NAME IS REMOVED FROM FILES BY TUSLA Kenneally identity kept secret in medical notes of abused boy
THE Child and Family Agency has refused to identify paedophile Bill Kenneally in the medical notes of a boy targeted by him, the Irish Mirror has learned.
Kevin Keating asked to see the 1987 file in which he detailed being lured to the pervert’s home, tied up and threatened if he told anyone about the abuse.
Tusla sent it to him – but the sadist’s name was blanked out despite the fact he was jailed for 14 years in 2016 – 29 years after Kevin first named him to a doctor.
Mr Keating and other victims of the former basketball coach claim it proves health bosses knew of the abuse in the 1980s.
The Waterford man said: “The medical notes confirm I told her [the doctor] about the abuse. But there are parts of the papers blacked out. Bill Kenneally’s name has been hidden.
“But that should not be redacted. We know it’s his name there and this shows the HSE knew I and others were being abused by him at that time.”
In a medical report dated 1989 a paediatrician wrote: “Kevin was seen by me on several occasions between 22/10/87 and the summer of 1988.
“Kevin was a 14-year-old boy who was alleging sexual abuse by ______.
“One episode which occurred on the Halloween of ’86 when he was brought into a house and tied up.
“He was also making allegations other boys had been approached by the same person.
“There is a question of money changing hands in some of these cases.
“There was also threats of violence of being told they would be killed or hurt if they told.”
A commission of investigation into allegations that sex abuse by Kenneally was covered up by gardai, members of Fianna Fail, the HSE and Catholic Church will start next month. Mr Keating insisted the letters are “vital evidence for the inquiry”.
He added: “If they had taken the proper action then they could have saved other boys who were still being abused at that point, not to mention the boys he went on to abuse after that.
“I told an adult, a person in authority, a health professional. Children could have been rescued at that point, but instead the abuse was allowed to continue.”
Mr Keating wants the full unredacted version of the notes given to him.
He said: “They [HSE] keep referring to freedom of information protocol and that is the reason for redacting names of others mentioned in the files, but Bill Kenneally’s name should be there in black and white.
“There are names of the other boys who were being
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abused mentioned in the report also and these names are erased. I perfectly understand that and I think it is right their identities should be concealed.
“I applied under freedom of information to have my medical files released to me and they were located earlier this year. I have been informed gardai requested a court order a couple of days later and were given the full version.
“So basically the gardai can see my file in full but I can’t.
“But Bill Kenneally is in prison now. We all know what he did. He has been convicted for abusing me among others.
“I am now appealing to the HSE to give me the files with his name unredacted.”
In a letter to Mr Keating, a Tusla official said: “It is my belief the public interest is best served by protecting information of the third parties concerned and I have accordingly exempted parts of the records on that basis.”
The Mirror contacted Tusla response.
This shows HSE knew I and others were being abused by him
KEVIN KEATING
for a