Paedophile ex-Christian Brother remanded for sentencing

A judge has described the effects of sexual attacks on fifth class boys by their teacher as a “nuclear fallout” for the victims and their families.

Judge Tom O'Donnell said he was adjourning sentencing former Christian Brother James Treacy (75), to consider "extremely profound" statements read into evidence on Friday by some of Treacy's victims.

It was heard that, in one attack, after catching the boy smoking in the toilet, Treacy gagged him with a bar of soap, raped him over a urinal, and burnt his private parts with a cigarette. Another victim described in how Treacy ran a “military style” class, and would “lick” the boys’ ears clean if they had forgotten to wash them.

Treacy pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of indecent assault on boys at the school between the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was found guilty by two juries earlier this year. Reading his victim impact statement on Friday, one man said Treacy treated him like “a piece of meat” for his “ appalling fantasises”.

Own fault

He said Treacy had told him the “sick and twisted” abuse was his own fault, and that if he told anyone, his mother, who was in ill health at the time, would die.

He described walking home two years after the abuse, and seeing an ambulance outside his house. “I wet my pants. I was 12. I thought my mam had died and that someone had found out about it.”

The man said Treacy had “owned my childhood”, but that he had now finally broken free. “It took 12 long years to win in court. You don’t own me any more,” he told Treacy.

Another victim described how they continued to suffer “haunting nightmares” and could still not sleep in the dark.

Treacy was remanded in custody for sentencing on July 28th.