The mother of three primary schoolchildren confronted the church and educational authorities in the early 1970s to have a Franciscan teacher, who she knew was sexually abusing her children, removed, Galway Circuit Court has heard.
Her actions bitterly divided the local community, but Judge Joseph Mathews described her as a woman of substance far before her time. He was speaking during the hearing of the case yesterday in which the former Franciscan Brother was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
John Hannon (57), whose address cannot be published to protect the identity of his estranged wife and five children, pleaded guilty to 18 sample charges including buggery and indecent assault of young children in his care in a Co Galway village between 1967 and 1972.
Hannon had denied the charges when they were first put to him and sought a judicial review of the case in the High Court, challenging the prosecution case against him. He later withdrew this and pleaded guilty to the charges on April 28th at Galway Circuit Court. He was remanded in custody on that date to appear yesterday for sentencing.
Hannon, who is serving a 10year sentence for similar offences committed while teaching in another school at a later date, apologised to 14 of his victims who were in court.
Det Garda Eamonn Hurst, who investigated the abuse complaints a man made in October 1995, said he and Garda Mary Burke got a list of children attending the school when Hannon was principal there and interviewed them.
Their inquiry yielded more than 100 charges against Hannon, relating to offences involving boys and girls between 1967 and 1972 and the prosecution proceeded on 18 of these.
Hannon yesterday pleaded guilty to 12 charges of indecent assault on named males, four charges of indecent assault on named females and two of buggery on named males.
Det Garda Hurst and Garda Burke read out victim impact reports relating to those who were in court. All expressed their hurt and anger over the abuse and said two-thirds of the local community did not support them or the four sets of parents who tried to have him dealt with.
Six victims detailed the abuse they suffered, most of which occurred during class time. They all hoped Hannon would never have the opportunity to abuse another child. Some expressed their contempt for the Catholic Church, the Franciscan Order, and the Department of Education which they claimed had allowed the abuse to continue, not alone in their school but in another school later on.
The local parish priest called a meeting when he learned what was happening but 18 parents turned up to support Hannon and the concerns of the four parents who exposed the abuse were ignored. A Hannon supporter said at that meeting: "Sure didn't that sort of thing happen to us 50 years ago and it won't do them any harm now."
As a result of that meeting, the community became bitterly divided. A victim told the court that people used to cross the road to avoid his mother and the family business had to close because two-thirds of the community boycotted it.
Another female victim said that when she told her parents she was being abused by Hannon they didn't believe her. She was sent back to the school where she was subjected to further abuse, while the allegations made against Hannon were investigated.
Reading from the victim impact reports, Det Garda Hurst outlined the abuse two boys suffered. Both said they had trouble coping with relationships in later life and one expressed a wish to shoot Hannon. All the victims had received counselling from a consultant psychiatrist and said the opportunity to speak out in court would help their recovery.
Hannon gave evidence and apologised openly in court to his victims. He said he was sorry for the hurt he had caused to his victims and to the people who had trusted him.
Judge Mathews paid tribute to the victims, specially those who had spoken in court. He described Hannon as a broken and pathetic man who had lost his job, his wife and his children, due to the offences he had perpetrated.
He said the hurt done by Hannon, even so long ago, would not be healed in a generation and he singled out the mother who had first confronted the authorities for special consideration. "She is a woman of enormous quality, huge courage and great substance. She is the unsung hero who so long ago fought for the safety of her three young children. She took on the authorities when other parents were critical of her and this country should be grateful to this woman and to the other parents for their courage and vision," Judge Mathews said.
"If we are to learn anything from this, it is that we must listen to our children," he said.
Judge Mathews sentenced Hannon to 10 years in prison for the buggery offences, to date from April 28th and a further four-year term on each of the remaining charges, to run concurrent with the first sentence.