Smyth faces 30 new charges of child sex abuse

By Dick Grogan
Irish Times
September 22, 1995

The paedophile priest Brendan Smyth faces his second trial in the North today when Belfast Crown Court hears a case against him involving 30 new charges of child sex abuse over about 15 years.

Smyth (68) is already serving a four year sentence in Magilligan Prison, Co Derry, imposed last year for other paedophile crimes.

The charges which gave rise to today's trial involve allegations made when further complainants came forward. Most of the offences are alleged to have taken place in two children's homes run by the Catholic Church Nazareth Lodge, Belfast, and De La Salle, Kircubbin, Co Down.

The RUC has interviewed Smyth several times about these additional allegations, and his solicitor, Mr Denis Maloney, said his client has co operated fully with the investigation. The charges, Mr Maloney said, related to "old" offences which had not come to light at the original trial.

With a full 50 per cent remission of his current sentence, Smyth would be due for release next June. The Norbertine priest has been questioned several times in recent months by gardai who travelled to the North to interview him about allegations of sexual offences in the Republic. It is understood that a Garda file on these matters has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The complaints in the Republic were made by men and women in various counties.

The allegations were brought to the attention of the authorities during the controversy over the failure to extradite Smyth to the North which was to lead to the collapse of the Fianna Fail/Labour coalition government last October and November.

At least 30 allegations of sexual abuse of children are understood to have been made.