A victim of vile predator Patrick Sharkey, who was today jailed for six-and-a-half years, has said that the sentencing of the former teacher should be the start of a wider process.
Michael Bacon was speaking at Donegal Circuit Court after Sharkey, 83, was sent to prison.
Mr Bacon said that there remain significant questions as to how Sharkey was able to wage terror over decades.
Sharkey admitted the abuse of 19 young boys during a 25-year-period between 1970 and 1995, when he was a teacher at St Joseph’s High School in Coleraine.
He would regularly take children to remote Clonmany in Co Donegal, where he groomed them before subjecting them to sexual assaults.
“Today marks the end of a long and difficult chapter for me and the other victims of Patrick Sharkey,” Mr Bacon said.
“As victims, we are relieved that the criminal proceedings are finally drawing to a close after many years.
“We welcome the outcome of this case and the fact that he has finally admitted responsibility for his actions. While he has pleaded guilty, nothing I have seen in court has suggested any genuine remorse.”
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Sharkey was before the court on a total of 132 charges and Judge John Aylmer described his offending as “very invasive”.
“The offences can only be described as very calculated, premeditated and predatory in nature,” Judge Aylmer said.
“It involved a significant amount of grooming of the victims.”
Patrick Sharkey. (North West Newspix)
Sharkey was previously handed a two-year sentence in Northern Ireland and served one year in prison. Three of the victims in that case overlapped into the matter before the Circuit Court in Donegal.
Mr Bacon told how some victims were “no longer here to witness this outcome” and added: “For some, the abuse they suffered played a direct role in that reality. I hope their families can take some comfort in knowing that, while justice has been delayed, it has finally been achieved.”
Mr Bacon said: “Significant questions remain unanswered. It is deeply troubling that a serial abuser was able to offend for decades without effective intervention. we are aware, along with other victims, that allegations were raised as far back as the 1980s but were not acted upon. Had those concerns been properly addressed at the time, many people may have been spared the suffering they later endured.
“We do not see today as the end of this journey. Rather, we see it as the beginning of a wider process of accountability and acknowledgement by those who were entrusted with safeguarding and protecting children at St Joseph’s.”
He praised the Garda detectives, particularly Johnny Gallagher, Joe English and Bernard Mullins. He said: “Their commitment, professionalism and determination have been instrumental in bringing this case to justice.”
Solicitor Mr Gary Duffy, of KRW Law, representing the victims, told media: “Our clients have endured an exceptionally long and difficult journey, and Sharkey getting a prison sentence is a significant step in their fight for justice. The fact that the Court found it appropriate to impose a custodial sentence on an 83-year-old signifies the seriousness of the offences and the pain and hurt that Sharkey’s conduct has caused.
“The prison sentence sends an important message to victims that if they come forward to discuss their abuse, they will be listened to and action will be taken.”
Mr Duffy has called on the PSNI to “urgently engage” with victims and An Garda Siochana “to assess if any further charges can be brought” in Northern Ireland.
He added: “While the conclusion of these proceedings is an important milestone, serious and legitimate questions remain as to how he was allowed to work in a school for over 25 years. Evidence heard during these proceedings highlighted that concerns had been raised as early as the 1980s.
“It is a matter of grave concern that such warnings did not result in immediate action and a criminal investigation. Victims are rightly asking questions about these wider school failings, including by the senior leadership of the school and the inspecting authorities. These need to be fully and properly investigated as a matter of urgency.”