Vile Christian Brother Admits Groping 10-year-old Boys" Privates As They Sat in Classroom
By Brian McDonald
A vile Christian Brother sexually abused boys as young as ten as they sat in class, a court heard yesterday. The shocking details of the sex assaults on the boys at a national school in the midlands were revealed to Mullingar Circuit Court sitting in Tullamore. Evil Thomas McCarry, 66, of Clareville, Finglas Road, Glasnevin in Dublin admitted a series of sample charges of indecently assaulting four boys on dates at the school between 1984 and 1987. Garda Eric Naughton told the court that the assaults came to light in 2010 when one of Bro McCarry’s victims made a statement. The others later made statements, the latest in March of last year. The assaults all took place during class while the boys were aged 10-11 and in fifth and sixth class in national school. Each of the victims outlined how Belfast native McCarry would approach them from behind and lean over as if to help with their schoolwork. Instead, he pulled up the jumper and shirt of his victim and rubbed either their lower stomach or flicked their nipples in a sexual way. In some instances, he put his hand inside their trousers and felt their private parts. The victims told the court that they were either frozen by fear or else tried to squirm and wriggle away from him. One former pupil said he had tried to tighten his belt to the limit to try to stop Bro McCarry from putting his hand inside his trousers. One of the pupils said that Bro McCarry had said: “I’ll frighten the life out of you,” as he began to assault him. The victim added: “I was afraid of him.” None of the victims told either their family or friends what was happening because they were either afraid, too shy or later blamed themselves. In Victim Impact Statements to the court the victims told of how the abuse had greatly impacted on their lives. One victim said he only ever wanted to play football and had been captain of teams at a young age, but had given up the game because Bro McCarry was in charge of under-age teams. He had never realised his potential and became withdrawn, not knowing who to trust. The “secret” had eaten away at him for 25 years, he said. He was bitter about what he called “the Church’s sheer hypocrisy and cover-up” and felt his life had been blighted. His wife was the only person who knew what had happened to him. In a statement read to the court another victim told of attempting to take his own life at age 18. Last month (September) he had made a second attempt on his life and had written his Victim Impact Statement from a psychiatric ward. He said: “I tried my best to fight the shame, depression, fear, anger.” One of the victims went onto the witness box to read his statement in person. He told the court he was still receiving psychotherapy treatment. He said he had: “Totally trusted Bro McCarry and looked up to him.” At age 12 he had pleaded with his family to be allowed to go to boarding school. Breaking down, he told of having to walk into shops at times when he feared someone was behind him on a street. He had trouble forming relationships and suffered from insecurity and paranoia. Defence barrister Phillip Rahn said Bro McCarry had deep shame and sorrow for his victims. He had undergone 15 years of psychotherapy treatment and was described as a troubled, fragile man who was remorseful. He was now living in a very structured environment, was not allowed to have public ministry, was never to be alone with children and was constantly monitored. He had signed up to join the Christian Brothers at 14 and had “significant emotional, sexual deficits”. Judge Tony Hunt noted that the offences “had horrendous consequences”, and adjourned sentencing to later this month.
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