Former priest to be sentenced for rape

to do, offering him the use of wellington boots.

He paid the victim €10 or €15 in general for his work in the garden, but this amount increased once the abuse began.

The court heard that the then priest initially made inappropriate remarks about whether or not the victim was entering puberty. This progressed to fondling and then to oral rape and sexual assault in the bedroom of the priest’s house.

The boy was subsequently raped and sexually assaulted on a number of occasions, three times in a presbytery in Co Wicklow and once in a car near the priest’s house.

The court heard that the final rape in a presbytery injured the boy, causing him a lot of pain and leading to an operation and continuing health problems.

Conor Devally SC, for the State, told the court the boy had been ‘somewhat naive’ and didn’t know anything about what was happening, although he felt confused and uncomfortable.

The court heard the boy ‘revered’ the accused’s status as a priest, and thought ‘if the priest was doing it, then it must be so’.

The victim was encouraged by the priest to look at sexual matters on the internet. When his father discovered what he was looking at online the boy did not report that it had been at the behest of the priest.

The abuse finally came to light as a result of the victim having significant problems as a student, and also health problems as a result of the rapes.

In a victim impact statement read out in court on his behalf, the now 24-year-old said the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the priest had a traumatic impact on his life.

He said he could not manage without the support of others and his medication, and that it felt ‘almost impossible’ to take control of his life.

He said he suffered greatly from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, panic and fear and said that many times on a weekly basis, he felt he would be ‘ better off dead’.

The court heard he finds it difficult to hold down a job or to function on a day-to-day basis, and that he avoids his friends and social events because he feels he ‘just doesn’t fit in’.

‘I cannot get the thoughts of what happened to me out of my head. It fills me with fear. Sometimes I feel I have no power in my body to move,’ he said, adding that that he could not sleep because of flashbacks and traumatic nightmares.

‘When I look in the mirror I hate my body and I hate myself,’ he wrote, adding that he was filled with worry and confusion about whether he would ever be able to have an intimate relationship.

He said his sister had had to move schools as a result of being bullied ‘about me being with the priest’ and that his parents were also constantly stressed about it.

‘I wanted to study to be an equine vet. I wanted to see myself travelling and being able to form a relationship and live a normal life,’ he said, but added that because of the abuse, he didn’t feel able to ‘physically or mentally’ take charge of his life.

The accused is currently serving a sentence at Midlands Prison. Conor McKenna BL, defending, said that through his own actions the accused was a now destitute man.

He said his client was ordained in 1979 and had no complaints against him until these matters came to light. He was laicised and his house was sold by his family, from whom he is estranged.

A governor’s report from Midlands Prison said the accused was on an ‘enhanced privilege regime’ and was putting his time in prison to some good use by taking part in various classes and courses.

The former priest has 20 previous convictions relating to the persistent defilement and sexual assault of another boy, described as a ‘successor’ to this victim, between 2007 and 2012.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy adjourned the case to next Monday for sentence. HE way I see it, the world is divided up into two types of people: The Get Up And Goers and the Lie On the Couchers. You can’t be both. I am the latter and would quite happily do nothing forever. Lying on the couch, doing nothing is actually my favourite past time in the whole world. I don’t buy into that whole spiel of doing exercise makes you feel better – so does a glass of wine and a nice bit of cheese. And if mooching on the couch makes me feel good then surely I should be allowed do it... as much as possible.

Himself, being from the Get Up And Goers camp has other ideas. He thinks I’m lazy. He might be right but I don’t really care. He thinks I should be spending every minute of my day doing something useful or energetic like cutting the grass or going for a bike ride, neither of which are ever going to happen.

He doesn’t have an ‘off ’ button whereas I’m not quite sure if I have an ‘on’ Button. Weekends are the worst. He’ll wake up bright and breezy wanting to know what the plan is for the day. Just listening to him being all energetic and gung ho puts me in bad mood.

‘ Well I’m staying here for at least another hour if not two,’ I tell him, snuggling back under the duvet. ‘ What?’ he says, outraged. ‘ You can’t. It’s a beautiful day outside. We have to make the most of it.’ And with that he whips back the curtains and opens the windows so that even if the sunlight doesn’t keep me awake the raucous chorus of birds in the garden will do the job.

As if that’s not bad enough, once he has me up he starts planning activities. This will be before I’ve even had a cup of tea. ‘So what will it be – a bike ride or a long walk on the beach. Or maybe if we’re quick we can do both.’

The Youngest looks appalled. ‘ Why can’t we do nothing?’ That’s my girl. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Himself looks wounded. ‘Because we HAVE to do something. We can’t just sit around doing NOTHING. That would be a waste of a day.’

We give in because it’s easier and because we know we’re never going to win. He’ll just nag away at us till we eventually give in so it’s best to get it over with. Myself and the Youngest opt for the beach instead of the bike in the hope we’ll stop off for coffee and cake along the way.

Himself strides along taking great gulps of fresh air and waxing lyrical about the myriad benefits of sea air. We trudge behind him pulling faces behind his back. ‘ Now.’ he says triumphantly. ‘Bet you feel much better,’ after we’ve walked the length of the beach.

Secretly we do. The Youngest has rosy cheeks and I feel more awake but to admit this to Himself would mean the death knell for any more lazy days at home. ‘ Yeah, Yeah Yeah are you buying us coffee and cake now?’ I can feel the couch calling me already.