A MAN ABUSED by paedophile surgeon Michael Shine and ten years later by a Christian Brother says that he “would feel like we’re only getting half an inquiry” if there is a Commission of Investigation to examine schools run by religious orders, but Shine’s victims are ignored.
Gerard Murray, 53, participated in the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools, but he is also one of a group of victims lobbying for a public inquiry to probe the Michael Shine abuse case.
He told the scoping inquiry that he was sexually assaulted by a Christian Brother at the age of 14 in St Mary’s CBS in Drogheda, County Louth, in 1985. The report of the scoping inquiry stated that there were four allegations of abuse involving two alleged abusers at this school, which is now called St Mary’s Diocesan School.
Gerard also alleges that ten years earlier he was abused by paedophile surgeon Michael Shine at the age of four, making him one of Shine’s youngest known victims.
In the event that a Commission of Investigation is established to probe the Shine case, which is what his victims are calling for, Gerard could be the first victim involved in two public inquiries into non-recent sexual abuse at the same time.
He was one of six men who waived their anonymity last month and spoke to The Journal about his experience of abuse at the hands of the now disgraced doctor, who was struck off the Irish Medical Council’s register in 2008.
Gerard attempted suicide in his late teens. He turned to drink and drugs, which eventually led to him becoming homeless. But he has now been sober for 29 years.
He was up until 3am this morning reading the report after it was published yesterday evening. Gerard is in England this week, but has now decided to cut his trip short.
Gerard spoke this morning and gave his reaction to the report’s findings.
“It kind of makes me guilty … if I was involved (in this inquiry) and the other victims of Shine do not get an inquiry, it would feel like we’re only getting half an inquiry.”
In his testimony to the scoping inquiry, he stressed he felt that there was a need for an inquiry that would be “all encompassing”. He said that in Ireland abuse happened in many different organisations, controlled by the same authorities.
Gerard continued: “I cannot single out one abuse and forget about the other. For me, I see both the Shine and the CBS case as being connected, so there must now be an inquiry to look into the Shine case as well.”
He said that if he wasn’t abused by Shine he didn’t think the abuse by the Christian Brother would have happened. “I feel that the second abuser saw something in me.”
Gerard believes that he was targeted by the Christian Brother because he displayed signs of vulnerability having already been abused by Michael Shine.
Gerard first reported the abuse at the school to gardaí in the 1990s, but he was told at the time that there was not enough evidence to proceed.
He said that seeing that there were others involved in the scoping inquiry who claimed to have been abused at the same school was very upsetting.
“When I saw that in the report, it was the first time it confirmed to me that there were others.”
“At 2am this morning I was quite upset when I saw that. It confirmed to me that I wasn’t the only one.”
He said that while reading the report he recognised his own testimony. In parts of the report, direct quotes from victims were published.
He sent excerpts from the report that reflect what he personally told the interviewers during the scoping process.
These quotes include: “I’ve never been okay, I can honestly say there’s not one single day I have been okay.”
“All through my life it’s been hell. It’s a fight every day in my head to keep the abuse to the back and be in the here and now.”
He said that while he welcomed the report, he would urge all victims involved to remain vigilant.
“The Government is good at words, but fails at action.”
Gerard is still dealing with the trauma of being sexually abused by two men, both in positions of authority. But today he finds solace in nature. He feels most at peace when he is birdwatching.
“Another thing I had said in the interview was, I asked for an oak tree to be planted for every victim of abuse.”
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Dignity4Patients is a patient support, information and advocacy organisation for people who have experienced sexual abuse, you can call 041 – 9843730, text 0861654111 or email support@dignity4patients.org from Monday to Thursday, 10am – 4pm. Out of hours, call 1800 778 888.