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	St Joseph's Abuse Victim Awarded E300,000 Kilkenny Today [Ireland] March 22, 2006 http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2594&ArticleID=1393645 A Kilkenny City man who suffered sexual, physical and racial abuse in St Joseph's Orphanage, Waterford Road, Kilkenny was awarded E300,000 damages by the high court yesterday (Tuesday) after he won a case against the Sisters of Charity, the South Eastern Health Board and the state. David Connellan said yesterday that he has never received an apology from the nuns and is extremely disappointed that it took 16 years to bring the case to court even though the person who abused him was jailed seven years ago. His solicitors, Michael Lanigan and Company, 1 High Street, Kilkenny, confirmed that he received record aggravated damages of E50,000 because of the way he had been treated by those who were supposed to be protecting him. The 46-year-old was abandoned by his mother when he was a few weeks old and never knew any family. He had this advice for others caught like him. "The hierarchy will ask you to do it their way but stick to your guns and get your own legal team otherwise they will screw you," he said. Although he feels vindicated by taking the action, he said the horror of that awful childhood haunts him and in its aftermath he has suffered his fair share of tragedy including the loss of a son. He said he felt let down by Sister Concepta who ran the orphanage for many years on behalf of the Sisters of Charity after she gave evidence on behalf of the order. The nuns tried to reduce amount of damages by arguing that he had managed to stay alive, make a life, learn a trade and become a valuable member of society. "The nuns don't care about the survivors. They didn't even admit liability until three weeks ago," Mr Connellan told the Kilkenny People after his high court victory. He said the nuns running the orphanage were incompetent, untrained and had too many children to look after. Each day he was in St Joseph's he was abused either sexually, physically or racially abused, he added.
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