Christian Brother receives new abuse sentence, expected to die in prison

Paul Dunleavy, an 89-year-old Christian Brother and former school principal residing at Glen Road in Belfast, has received an additional 10-year prison sentence for historical child sex abuse, a term he is anticipated to serve until his death. He was convicted in September on 36 counts involving former pupils. The crimes occurred between 1964 and 1991, during which time he was employed at four schools located in Belfast, Newry, and Armagh. Mr. Dunleavy is currently incarcerated, having been previously found guilty of sexual offences against children under his supervision in two distinct trials. His new sentence is scheduled to commence in May 2026, upon the conclusion of his existing term. Across a total of three trials, he has been convicted of 72 charges involving 18 victims. Detective Chief Superintendent Fisher of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) stated that “there is no doubt that Dunleavy’s victims were let down by those who should have protected him.” She added, “There is only one place for Dunleavy and that is behind bars. He will die in prison.” Despite his convictions, Mr. Dunleavy retains his status as a Christian Brother. The Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic lay organization established over two centuries ago to educate Catholic boys, was approached by BBC News NI for a response regarding victims’ demands for an apology and clarification on the extent and timing of the organization’s knowledge of his crimes. The organization chose not to comment, stating: “The congregation cannot comment on matters that are the subject of ongoing proceedings.” Judge Patrick Lynch observed that Dunleavy had persistently refused to accept accountability for his actions. The judge attributed these denials to “a malign stubbornness and an unwillingness to admit to such persons as may have believed in him that he is a child molester.” He further noted, “Most notably, perhaps, members of his family whom I’m told are still supportive of him.” Judge Lynch remarked that the world would have been improved had Dunleavy “not served a lifetime in religious and public service.” He added, “His teaching career has been littered with the shattered psyches of his victims.” Judge Lynch stated that Dunleavy, whose life expectancy was estimated by the court to be approximately four years, believed he could engage in his predatory conduct without consequence. The judge commended the nine victims involved in the case for their courage in testifying, expressing his hope that their bravery would discourage others from committing similar offenses and “save children, in the future, from having to undergo what you have suffered.” Outside the courtroom, PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher commented that Dunleavy “used his trusted position as a respected and influential member of the community to carry out his offending.” She further stated, “He abused young boys in school, home and other public spaces. We now know that Dunleavy’s abuse has even involved multiple children within the same family, causing untold, lasting psychological damage.” She also indicated that police suspect there are additional victims “who have not yet had the confidence to speak to us.” She affirmed, “It doesn’t matter when the abuse happened. We will still investigate and work to bring abusers before the courts as we have done today.” Following the sentencing, Catherine Kierans, acting head of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) Serious Crime Unit and the prosecutor in the case, issued a statement describing Dunleavy as a “calculating predator.” She elaborated, “He is now an elderly man, but when he committed these offences, he was a dominant and intimidating figure who instilled fear in his victims. He exerted control in the most despicable ways over young boys with whose care he had been entrusted as a teacher and a school principal.” Ms. Kierans commended the courage and dignity displayed by Dunleavy’s victims. Two of these individuals, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted their experiences to BBC News NI. An individual identified as James, whose name has been changed, suffered abuse while attending St. Aidan’s Primary School in west Belfast during the 1970s. He described the period as one where the Troubles were rampant outside the school, yet the true peril, he stated, resided within. “As I described school for me, it was a horror movie outside. You were running in as they do, and all the kids run upstairs and lock the doors and then realise the monster is in there.” James expressed that school ought to have provided refuge from the external “madness.” He recounted his years-long effort to suppress the abuse, a struggle that left him unable to cope. He reflected, “Was that the reason why I’m like this? Full of addictions, the amount of jobs I’ve had over my lifetime you could run a list of them all, always being good at the start then self-destruct happened.” Another individual, referred to as Dennis (not his actual name), experienced abuse at the Abbey Primary School in Newry. He reported ongoing severe mental health problems, including self-harm and suicidal ideation. He has disclosed his experiences to very few people, even withholding them from close family. Dennis stated, “I grew up hating my name, how I looked, basically I just hated everything about myself.” He indicated that he has suppressed many memories. “What it has done is basically rob me of any childhood memories.” He added, “I’ve flashes. My sister would talk to me, and say do you remember this, do you remember that? I can remember the beatings, I can remember the slaps.” The jury in this latest trial was informed that Paul Dunleavy was already serving a sentence for comparable offenses. Previous trials had been subject to reporting restrictions. The initial dossier concerning allegations against him was presented to the PPS in 2011. Dunleavy’s refusal to admit to the offenses was “devastating” for James, who felt, “It’s as if we’re still telling lies, because he denied it.” James stated that he has forgiven Dunleavy, but described it as an ongoing process. “To forgive him was the only way to get rid of it, it’s the only way for me to carry on.” He continued, “But it comes back, it doesn’t last – you can forgive him in the morning and want to kill him in the afternoon. It’s a thing I have to deal with day in and day out.” James expressed his belief that there are other individuals who suffered at Dunleavy’s hands but have not yet come forward, and some who did not survive. “l have got friends in the graveyard over this, that didn’t get the chance, that weren’t able to cope with the mental load and buried themselves in drugs and alcohol and weren’t able to get through it.” Dennis conveyed his regret that he could not have done more to prevent Dunleavy’s actions. “There’s a lot of guilt there because you did not speak up and it’s only now you’re finding out about the amount of people that’s come after you,” Dennis stated. He added, “You’ve that guilt there and it lives with you every day, that if you had have opened your mouth and said something maybe it would have been nipped in the bud.” He concluded, “Back in them days priests, brothers, all of it, they could do whatever they wanted, they got away with it. It’s only now people are finding out what they were really like.” For those affected by the subjects discussed in this report, assistance and support are available via BBC Action Line. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.