Smyth's path through the courts

Irish Times
September 23, 1995

In April 1993 the RUC issued warrants to the Garda Siochana for the extradition of Brendan Smyth from the Republic to face sex abuse charges against children in Northern Ireland.

• Gardai handed over the warrants to the Attorney General's office but in November 1993, before the warrants were dealt with, it was learned that Smyth was prepared to go voluntarily to Northern Ireland, as he did.

• In January 1994 the RUC request the return of the extradition warrants.

• In June 1994 Smyth was sentenced to four years imprisonment after pleading guilty to 17 charges of indecent assault involving the sexual abuse of five girls, two of them sisters, and three boys, two of them brothers, while he was a priest in the Falls Road area of Belfast.

• In October 1994 UTV's Counterpoint programme revealed that the Catholic Church had been aware of Smyth's paedophilia for several years.

• In November 1994 the Garda confirmed it was investigating allegations of Smyth having molested children in the Republic.

• The same month the RUC questioned Smyth about further allegations of sex abut offences in Northern Ireland. He was again questioned in December and January by the RUC.

• In November Mr Albert Reynolds was forced to resign as Fianna Fail leader, and later as Taoiseach. This was partly precipitated by the delay in the Attorney General's office in handling the RUC extradition warrants against Smyth.

• In December his solicitor complained that Smyth was being mistreated by other prisoners at Magilligan Prison, Co Derry.

• In January this year senior Garda officers interviewed Smyth about alleged offences he committed in the Republic.

• In July it was confirmed that Smyth was to face a series of new charges of sex abuse in the North.

• In August he appeared at committal proceedings in Belfast and was sent for trial on 16 charges of sex abuse.

• In mid September, Smyth was again questioned by senior garda officers, and by the RUC.

• Yesterday Smyth was sentenced to a further three years in jail after he pleaded guilty to 26 charges of sex abuse offences in Northern Ireland over a 20 year period. The offences involved four boys and nine girls.

• Further charges are expected to be preferred against him in the Republic sometime in the future.