DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Irish Mail on Sunday via NewsScoops.org
January 21, 2018
By Michael O’Farrell
[Note from BishopAccountability.org: The text below is a brief introduction. See the full report in PDFs of the original newspapers, with photographs, a timeline, and survivor profiles:
• Brother Accused of Abuse Was Left in Africa, with related articles, by Michael O’Farrell et al. (January 21, 2018)
• Breaking 35-Year Silence on Abuse, with related articles, by Michael O’Farrell et al. (January 28, 2018)
• Taxpayers’ Funding to St John of God Mission in Africa Is Suspended, by Michael O’Farrell (February 4, 2018)]
The St John of God order covered up 20 child abuse allegations against a school principal and allowed him to work and live with vulnerable children in Africa for decades – even as payouts were made to his Irish accusers.
Brother Aidan Clohessy was principal of St Augustine’s in Blackrock in south Dublin – a school for special needs boys – from 1970 until 1993 when he was relocated to a city in Malawi.
The first serious child abuse allegation was made against Brother Aidan in 1985 and claims continue to emerge. As recently as this week, two new sets of allegations of sex abuse against Brother Aidan – unearthed by the Irish Mail on Sunday – have been referred to gardaí and child and family agency Tusla for investigation.
The MoS has also confirmed that a number of alleged victims in Ireland received compensation through the Redress Board – even as Brother Aidan remained working and living with children in Malawi.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.