Sex Abuse Victim of Ex-priest Says Foregiveness All He Has Left

By Francesca Comyn
The Newstalk
March 22, 2013

http://www.newstalk.ie/Ex-priest-jailed-18-months-for-sexually-abusing-boys


Patrick McCabe jailed 18 months for sexually abusing boys

A former priest who admitted sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys in the 1970s is likely to walk free from prison despite being jailed for 18 months.

Patrick McCabe's sentence has been backdated to when he first went into custody in June 2011 following his extradition from Alameda, California to meet these and other abuse charges. The 77-year-old is the subject of a chapter of the Murphy Report into the handling of clerical abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.

Earlier this month he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of indecently assaulting the 2 boys on dates between 1977 and 1979. He was previously given an 18 months sentence for indecently assaulting 5 other boys on dates between 1979 and 1981.

In these proceedings, the court heard he abused one of his victims in a house adjoining the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin at the time of the Pope's visit. He had offered to show the boy the crypts.

The victim gave evidence that the abuse tortured and tormented him for years. He said he cannot bring himself to forgive the Church hierarchy because they knew what McCabe was doing.

'Today will bring some closure'

The other victim James Moran was molested in a car outside Newbridge College in Kildare when visited by Patrick McCabe who introduced himself to the 13-year-old as a family friend.

The 50-year-old has waived his right to anonymity and told reporters at the Criminal Courts of Justice that 'today will bring some closure'.

'It's affected every part of my life over the years; relationships, parents, family, friends, everything basically, but today is the end of this particular chapter', he said.

Patrick McCabe has asked both of his victims for forgiveness.

When first interviewed by gardai in 2007 in California, the former priest had described one of the boys as having met the 'requirements' of his 'fetish'.

In court he held his head in his hands as Judge Margaret Heneghan called his conduct 'utterly abhorrent' and imposed an 18 months sentence.

It has been backdated to account for time spent in custody and McCabe is expected to walk free from prison.

James Moran spoke outside court after the sentencing.