He gave us sweets and lemonade and asked us if we liked painting.. then he washed me because I couldn’t go home to my mum dirty

Brave victim tells of sickening abuse at school

A CHRISTIAN Brother and retired teacher was yesterday found guilty of sexually assaulting two children at his school.

John Gibson, 72, was convicted of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Co Wexford between May and September 1983.

He was also found guilty of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old boy between May 1, 1985, and September 1, 1985.

During a five-day trial, the woman and man, now aged in their 40s, testified that Gibson molested them while washing them after they carried out odd jobs around the school.

He had denied all three charges, but a jury convicted him by majority verdict on all counts – two against the female victim and the third against the male. Gibson, with an address in Dun Laoghaire, yesterday appeared in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court dressed in a grey suit, white shirt, blue tie and wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

He showed no reaction when the verdict was delivered.

Gibson was forced to surrender his passport and must sign on at Dun Laoghaire Garda station.

The trial started last Monday, but reporting restrictions were lifted yesterday, meaning the defendant could be named. Neither victim can be identified. The woman was called to give evidence last Tuesday.

She recalled climbing over a small wall to play on the school grounds with pals during the summer holidays.

The woman said Gibson was the only adult there, adding: “He would bring out sweets and Cidona.”

OFFENCES

The woman outlined the alleged offences in the summer of 1983 when she had just turned 12.

She said: “One time we were inside the school, he asked us if we were interested in painting.

“He asked would I come back the next day. I went in to the school and Brother Gibson met me.

“I was alone. He had some clothes put out on a chair. He asked me would I change into them. He specified I take off my underwear so it didn’t get dirty. I didn’t initially. He came back in and asked did I take my underwear off.

“I took off all of my clothes so I was naked and put on the T-shirt and shorts.

“I went out into the hall. There was a ladder, paint and some brushes.

“I was up on the ladder painting the walls [of the school].

“When I finished painting, he said, ‘You can’t come home to your mother dirty. We’ll have to clean you’.

“He came into the classroom with a basin and face cloth.

“He asked me to get undressed. I did. Brother Gibson crouched down in front and started to wash me.

“He was washing my legs, thighs and in around my private parts.

“I remember thinking there wasn’t very much paint there.” She said the same thing happened the next day when

I was alone. He specified I take off my underwear so it didn’t get dirty FEMALE VICTIM COURT LAST WEEK