BishopAccountability.org
	Triumphing over a Tormented Childhood- the Irish Catholic Colm O'Gorman June 16, 2009 http://colmogorman.com/?page_id=479 t would be difficult not to know of Colm O'Gorman. He is regularly on the radio and television, mostly in the past as Director of One in Four, the organisation set up to provide support for people who have suffered from sexual abuse or violence. From his polished calm exterior, one would never suspect the massive traumas he has had to endure in his life. Abused by two local Wexford male sexual predators at the age of five, as well as by an adolescent boy who invited him to his house on the pretext of giving him music lessons, it is not surprising that Colm had problems with bed-wetting as a child. At no point did he dare to mention the cause of his anxiety to his parents. He had a huge desire to impress his father to whom felt he was a disappointment because of his lack of interest in "normal" boyish activities like sport. Another reason for his silence was the fact that the Ireland of the 1970s and 80s was not ready to face up to the horrors of child sexual abuse. Shattered Horrific as these initial sexual experiences were, the actions of Fr Sean Fortune would leave O'Gorman totally shattered. Having spotted the 14-year old at a youth group event, the priest arrived at his house two weeks later "with the absolute expectation of an open door; that he had the God-given authority to impose himself was never in question". Shortly afterwards the abuse started. It would continue for a couple of years. The descriptions are harrowing: "Words like abuse are easy to use. Words can't show what it was. Words can't describe the smell, the sounds, the taste of it all. "It was sordid and degrading and hateful. Hateful was an important word here, it was full of hate. This priest manipulated me into his bed and used my confusion and innocence against me. And once again the world as I knew it, as I was required to know it, as defined by every authority in my life, came crashing down." The day after the first incident, Colm felt as though he was in some way responsible for what had happened - Fortune had told him he had a 'problem' and that he would have to discuss it with his parents. Naturally, the boy recoiled from that prospect: "In order to escape I would have to name the abuse and that couldn't happen because to do so would destroy the very fabric of the society I lived in." Homeless Thus silence and denial continued for years. At the age of seventeen, after his parents were on the point of separating, Colm found himself homeless in Dublin, where he sometimes allowed himself to be used by men in return for food and a bed - never money. He ended up in London, where he trained as a therapist, a process that forced him to face up to his demons. All the time, the memory of what Fr Fortune had done to him left him angry and concerned at the thought that he might be doing the same thing to other boys. Finally, he made a statement to the Garda Siochána and initiated court proceedings against the diocese, and subsequently against the Pope. Others followed suit and soon there was a considerable file on the priest. However, the suicide of Fr Fortune prevented his victims from ever proving their case against him in court. In spite of this setback, Colm kept busy. He founded One in Four and featured in a stirring documentary aired initially on BBC2, entitled Suing the Pope. He also was awarded damages for the failure of the Church to act on the threat posed by Fortune, against whom there had been several allegations, dating back to the year before his ordination. When the Ferns Report was finally published, it confirmed the extent of abuse in the diocese and the inactivity of successive bishops and the hierarchy to deal adequately with the issue: "Their overarching priority was to prevent scandal and protect the reputation and authority of the Church." Resilience What emerges from this stirring book is the resilience of the human spirit. After all he endured, Colm O'Gorman could so easily have ended up in the gutter. That he did not is a credit to his courage and fortitude. He managed to be reconciled with his father months before the latter's death, to find true love with his partner Paul, to pit himself against the powerful institution that is the Catholic Church and win, while maintaining a dignity and a balance that are admirable. Beyond Belief brought tears to my eyes, anger to my heart and the joy that comes from reading about how truth wins out in the end. I cannot recommend this book too highly.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.