Former priest and headmaster handed 10-year sentence for litany of child abuse

A erstwhile teacher and schoolhouse main convicted of humanities kid enactment maltreatment has been handed a further 10 years successful prison.

Former Christian Brother Paul Dunleavy, 89, with an code successful Glen Road, Belfast, was recovered blameworthy successful September of 36 charges of humanities intersexual maltreatment against 9 boys.

The charges included indecent battle and gross indecency with oregon towards a child.

The offences were committed betwixt 1964 and 1991 while Dunleavy worked astatine 4 schools successful Belfast, Newry and Armagh.

The victims were aged betwixt 7 and 14 astatine the time.

Dunleavy concisely bowed his caput successful the dock of Belfast Crown Court arsenic condemnation was passed connected Thursday afternoon.

His teaching vocation has been littered with the shattered psyches of his victims

Judge Patrick Lynch

He is already serving a situation condemnation having been convicted antecedently connected 2 abstracted occasions of intersexual offences against children successful his care.

Those 2 cases progressive 9 different victims and included 36 different offences, meaning Dunleavy has present been convicted of a full of 72 offences involving 18 victims.

Passing sentence, Crown Court justice Patrick Lynch KC said the situation word would commence astatine the extremity of his existent condemnation successful May 2026.

Judge Lynch said Dunleavy, who the tribunal heard has a beingness expectancy of astir 4 years, felt helium could behaviour his predatory behaviour with impunity.

“In this lawsuit the satellite would person been successful a amended spot had helium not served a beingness successful spiritual and nationalist service,” helium said.

“His teaching vocation has been littered with the shattered psyches of his victims.

“The religion helium purports to service has been vilified due to the fact that of the actions of this antheral and his ilk, characterised by nonaccomplishment of spiritual faith, of spot and desertion successful droves by the formerly devout radical of this island.”

The justice added: “The court, during the trial, received a graphic representation of the accused arsenic a large, robust man, thing similar the reduced fig present earlier the court.

“An intimidating fig due to the fact that of his carnal presence, dressed each successful black, striding schoolhouse corridors and rooms, with the treble authorization of teacher/headmaster and priest.

“A bully assured successful his ain position, assuming that nary 1 would situation to study his crimes.

“It is simply a bittersweet reflection of those times that helium felt helium was capable to behaviour his predatory behaviour with impunity.”

The justice attributed Dunleavy’s ongoing “persistent denials of guilt” to a “malign stubbornness” to admit to those who inactive enactment him, including immoderate members of his family, that helium is simply a “child molester”.

Outside court, the caput of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Public Protection Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher, said she believed determination were galore much victims of Dunleavy who person yet to travel forward.

She revealed that immoderate radical person already contacted constabulary with caller allegations arsenic a effect of sum of the lawsuit against Dunleavy.

“He utilized his trusted presumption arsenic a respected and influential subordinate of the assemblage to transportation retired his offending,” she told reporters.

“He abused young boys successful school, location and different nationalist spaces. We present cognize that Dunleavy’s maltreatment has adjacent progressive aggregate children wrong the aforesaid family, causing untold, lasting intelligence damage.

“Our thoughts contiguous are with the victims that this antheral preyed connected and abused for truthful galore years. It takes immense courageousness to talk retired to interruption the rhythm of abuse. We privation to wage tribute to those who worked with our dedicated detectives and retrieve those who sadly died earlier they could spot justness done.

“There is nary uncertainty that Dunleavy’s victims were fto down by those who should person protected them. There is lone 1 spot for Dunleavy and that is down bars. He volition dice successful prison.

“I’m definite the learning of the severity of this offending contiguous volition nonstop shockwaves done the country. Since the media prohibition connected reporting was lifted, a fig of further victims person travel guardant and we judge determination volition beryllium galore much who person not yet had the assurance to talk to us.

“Please bash not endure successful silence. We volition perceive to you and we volition act. It doesn’t substance erstwhile maltreatment happened, we volition inactive analyse and enactment to bring abusers earlier the courts, arsenic we person done today.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Fisher said Dunleavy ne'er thought justness would drawback up connected him, arsenic she issued a stark informing to different kid abusers.

“Regardless of however you deliberation you person got distant with it, however agelong you deliberation that that sound connected the doorway has not travel from police, it volition come. I americium sure,” she said.

“I person nary uncertainty that Dunleavy thought that sound would not come, and it has, connected galore occasions. And we spot justness done today. “