Man who claims to have been cared for and sexually abused by the pedophile priest Malachy Finegan to receive six numbers for compensation – The Irish News

A man who claimed a pedophile priest who took care of him and sexually abused him at a Co Down school is to receive damages of 115,000 pounds.

The agreement was reached in an action of the High Court for alleged historical aggressions of the late Father Malachy Finegan.

The applicant, who is not appointed, sued the Dromore Diocese, together with the agents and the Board of Directors of the Stolery College in Newry.

The processes focused on alleged attacks on him while a student at school in the 1980s.

Finegan, the president of the college at that time, initially cared for and later assigned the applicant on several occasions, his lawyers said.

It is said that the alleged movement has progressed from seemingly harmless questions about family and puberty, in its isolation by other children and, finally, severe sexual aggression.

The case is among a series of actions focused on Finegan’s activities during the period he taught and worked at the Stoleman College.

The priest, who died in 2002, was accused of a long campaign of sexual abuse of children, but was never being prosecuted or asked by the police regarding the claims made against him.

In 2018, it was shown that the Dromore Diocese resolved a previous request made by one of its alleged victims.

At that stage, the Board of Directors of St Colman condemned physical, sexual and emotional abuse caused by Finnegan while working there. His image was also removed from school photos.

The legal action against the defendants involved requests for negligence, assault, battery and crime for the person.

The court confirmed that the applicant will receive a payment of 115,000 pounds plus costs under the resolution conditions.

The defendants did not admit the responsibility.

Following the resolution, the man’s lawyer, Owen Winters in Krw Law, said he can now continue his “healing process”.

But he stressed: “Unfortunately, for many victims and survivors of historical sexual abuse, in general, closure remains as evasive as ever.

“The memories of the abuse have been committed on them never fade.”

Mr. Winters added: “More precisely for many, the horrible legacy left by Malachy Finegan is as great as in those years ago, when he abused children weekly.

“A damage check, welcome as it is, will never delete this inheritance.”