Former priest Patrick Hughes, who has just been sentenced to a year in prison for sexual abuse, has declared that he is not in fact a paedophile. Why? Because he was only attracted to altar boys.
How could we have been so stupid? A priest with a fetish for altar boys cannot simply be branded a paedophile.
A sick, depraved pervert and a poor excuse for a human being would be more appropriate. But maybe I'm being harsh. Altar boys were just his type.
There was one altar boy in particular, who endured years of repeated abuse from Hughes, which all started when he was a 11-year-old child.
He was groped and fondled by Hughes, who also showed him pornography. The boy was also forced to pose in swimwear his local parish priest photograhed him. He cut locks of his hair and gave his £5 to get his mouth shut. A few of the best years of this child's life were taken away from him. His innocence was lost.
All of this sounds suspiciously like the behaviour of a paedophile. Am I wrong?
In an act of cowardice, Hughes fled Ireland before Gardaí could interview him, due to adverse publicity he was recieving. Did he not feel his crimes warranted punishment? I suppose not.
The Catholic Church must have felt the same way, since the church authorities felt the need to give the Gardaí the runaround for 12 years.
Did anyone think about the child whose innocence was snatched away from him, who was too afraid to tell his mother about the indecent acts that were performed on him?
Meanwhile, Hughes had "wandered into the desert", and began a journey of self-discovery and rehabilitation, sought some counselling in the USA and, just like magic, the nomad was reformed.
So, as a man of God, he must have felt the need to make amends? Apparantly not. Hughes had arranged to meet with Gardai in 2003, but pulled out in the last minute. He was eventually tracked down in 2007.
Imagine how his victim felt. Years of uncertainty, pain and anger were finally over. His abuser would finally be brought to justice.
Patrick Hughes pleaded guilty to the offences of sexual abuse which occured over 30 years ago, and apologised, even though his memory isn't that great anymore and he doesn't really remember what he did.
I'm sure his victim will never forget.
The maximum sentence for his crime is two years.
He recieved one.
10-years on the run, four counts of indecent assault against a child. And he got one year in prison.
But he said sorry, and he's old so it's OK.
Please tell me you all think this is ridiculous.
AH
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0203/1224263660114.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0202/hughesp.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/former-priest-jailed-for-abuse-of-boy-444555.html
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Totally agree with you Aisling, a year is definately not enough for such a horrible crime.
ReplyDeleteYou'd get more for forgetting to pay your TV license these days.
In my opinion, if you do the crime you have to do the time, no matter who you are.
RP
What a joke. The justice system here is a shambles. One year for an inhumane crime. You often get less than 10 years here for murder. He will probably serve 6 months on good behaviour you know. Is it any wonder right minded prisoners beat them up? They step in where we can't and/or wont. Don't pretend you don't want it to happen either. They come out worse than they went in.
ReplyDeleteDK
"the boy was forced to pose in swimwaer *while his parish priest photographed him". Whoops There's always at least at least one typo. Along with several others.
ReplyDeleteI think it's disgraceful, unfortunatly this is one case amongst many other, and they're are even more abusers who are yet to found.
AH