'We hoped and we prayed this day would come' - Victims' joy as ex-principal is jailed over abuse

By Declan Brennan And Brion Hoban
Independent
July 11, 2020

https://bit.ly/2C41ciO

Prison: Patrick Harte (78) was convicted of indecently assaulting seven pupils.. Photo: Collins Courts Photo by Collins Courts

A former school principal convicted of sexually abusing seven of his pupils has been sentenced to three years in jail.

Patrick Harte (78) was convicted of 11 counts of indecently assaulting seven pupils at the Sancta Maria Christian Brothers primary school in Synge Street, Dublin, between 1968 and 1970.

Afterwards Fr Tony Conlon, one of the victims and who is now a Catholic priest, said he "hoped and prayed" this day would come.

Outside Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice, Fr Conlon said they had fought the case for seven years and that "finally vindication has come for all of us".

He said he had not thought they could ever get justice and it shows that no matter how long ago it was "that there is justice".

The priest called on people to come forward "if you have been abused or hurt in anyway". He urged people not to be ashamed and said that if they come forward "you will get the best help and support".

Fr Conlon thanked his solicitor, his counsellor, the One in Four support group, and his friends and family.

He also praised the "wonderful and dedicated" staff of the DPP, the prosecuting barristers, and the detective unit in Kevin Street who "worked tirelessly to bring the investigation to its successful completion".

Harte's trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court had heard that when gardaí put the victims' allegations to him in 2015 the former teacher claimed they had "a vendetta against him".

Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, told the court there is no evidence any of the victims were ever in contact with each other since the offending took place. Detective Garda Garvan Ware said "as far as I'm concerned, they are all independent".

Harte, of Glendown Park, Templeogue, Dublin, had denied the charges and in a speech to the court he claimed the State had "validated" his teaching at the time and could not now "invalidate it".

He said: "I abhor all forms of child abuse, discrimination and social injustice".

He told Judge Martin Nolan he would go to the High Court if his sentence reflected a "sectarian" motivated prosecution.

Passing sentence, Judge Nolan said that at the time of the offending Harte was the victims' teacher and that they found him cruel and "too fond of punishment".

The judge said the evidence disclosed seems to indicate "a pattern of misbehaviour". He said the victims were "particularly courageous" in coming forward to give their evidence and the court thanks them.

He sentenced Harte to two years' imprisonment for the first count of indecent assault on the indictment and one year of imprisonment for the second count on the indictment, which he ordered to run consecutive to the former sentence.

Judge Nolan sentenced Harte to one year of imprisonment on each of the remaining nine counts of indecent assault, but ordered that they run concurrent to the other sentence, resulting in an effective sentence of three years' imprisonment.

At an earlier sentencing hearing, the court heard Harte repeatedly and continuously molested the children amid an atmosphere in his class of severe corporal punishment and verbal abuse.

Victims testified at the trial last March how he would find reasons to call them up to his desk, sometimes for praise and other times for correction of minor misbehaviours.

He would warn the class to look at their books and not raise their heads before abusing the boys.