€250,000 For Man Abused in School

A man who was raped by his school principle as a child has received compensation of over € 250,000 from the Christian Brothers

Victim Derek Power (34) reached the settlement over five years after his abuser, Br Patrick John Kelly was sentenced to eight years in jail in 1999.  Br Kelly who had an address at St Helen’s York Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, was convicted on a 51 counts of indecent assault and two of gross indecency.  He was the first Christian Brother to be convicted for the sexual abuse of youngsters in their care.  Power who is originally from Waterford but now living in Dublin, told The Star he was happy to have reached the settlement after a long struggle with the Christian Brothers.  “I spent my childhood being raped.  I spent my teenage years suffering and I spent my adult life struggling to have this abuse recognised.” he said.

The abuse took place in 1979, but Power did not confront his abuse until 1993.  When he did, Kelly dismissed him as “an alcoholic, a liar and a junkie”.  Mr Power was receiving treatment at a rape crisis centre at the time.  The victim said he had gone public because he wanted people to know about the extent of clerical sexual abuse in Ireland.  “I want people to know that I put him in jail.  I want people to know that the Christian Brothers have a history they should be ashamed of.  “No one from the Christian Brothers ever came to us to say they were sorry.  They never even sat down to talk to us,” he said.

Mr Power said the abuse had a major impact on his life and that he was not sure if he would ever be able to get over it.  “He was a despicable man.  While he was raping me, my brother Tony was dying of cancer.  I don’t know how I survived that time in my life,” he said.   And Mr Power said he dreaded the prospect of ever bumping into Br Kelly on the street when he is eventually released from prison.  “Let me not ever meet him in the street.  If he is coming out I should be protected.  I shouldn’t have to worry about the prospect of seeing him again.  It would bring everything flooding back,” he said.

Kelly’s offences – committed against 11 victims – occurred in Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Wicklow, Kildare and Tipperary on dates from 1976 to 1988.  They were committed in schools, his home, victims homes and in a field.  He was a trusted family friend on several of his 11 victims and had been sexually abused as a child.

A spokesman for the Christian Brothers was unavailable for comment last night.

Source: The Star Paper

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