EIGHTNEW MEN have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against the disgraced former surgeon Michael Shine.
The fresh claims come just weeks after Shine’s first media interview, when the unrepentant convicted paedophile told The Journal that he had no remorse for his crimes.
It brings the total number of men who have accused Shine, and who are now seeking justice via the criminal courts, to 36.
Advocates for the men say that Shine’s unapologetic comments last month reignited trauma and spurred new disclosures from long-silent victims.
Support organisation Dignity4Patients said that over the past three years, gardaí have formally taken statements from 20 men.
A further 16 men, including the most recent eight, are expected to be interviewed as part of the expanding investigation.
As more new allegations have surfaced, pressure is mounting for fresh charges to be brought against Shine.
CEO of Dignity4Patients Adrienne Reilly told The Journal: “We are aware that since 2022, An Garda Síochána has compiled at least 20 case files concerning allegations against Michael Shine.
“At least 10 of these files have been in their possession since 2023. The only known barrier to forwarding these files to the Director of Public Prosecutions is the completion of an interview with Shine.”
Dignity4Patients represents 382 men who say that they were abused by Michael Shine.
It is campaigning for a Commission of Investigation to probe allegations that his behaviour at the Drogheda hospital where he worked and his private clinic in the Co Louth town were “covered up” for decades.
Shine worked as a surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda from 1964 until 1995. The hospital was run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary, until it was sold to the State in 1997.
In November 2017, he was found guilty of three counts of assaulting two teenage patients on dates between 1974 and 1976. However, he was granted bail pending an appeal against the conviction.
He was eventually jailed for four years in 2019, following a separate case for abusing seven boys in his care over a period of three decades. He served three of a four-year sentence in the Midlands Prison.
In the last court proceedings involving Shine, the Court of Appeal ruled that another trial should not be held, meaning the likelihood of any further trial happening is nil.
The court ruled that “cumulative factors” – including his age and health, as well as a “misstep” by the Director of Public Prosecutions between 2017 and 2019 – meant the case was in a “wholly exceptional category where it would be unjust to put the appellant on trial”.
Citing the contents of Shine’s comments to The Journal, Reilly said: “That public interview acted as a significant emotional trigger for many survivors.
“Since the publication of that article, eight additional individuals have come forward with allegations.”
Reilly continued: “These survivors are clear in their plea – they want Michael Shine to be interviewed [by gardaí] without further delay.
“They want the existing case files sent to the DPP so that the path to justice can finally begin. This has gone on for far too long.”
Shine continues to deny committing any of the abuses for which he was convicted.
Broad timeline
Adrianne Reilly said that the allegations against Shine “span a broad timeline—from the beginning of Shine’s medical career in the 1960s through to the 1990s, when he was permitted to retire on full pay”.
She says that by the time of his retirement, at least 40 victims were known to the North Eastern Health Board, An Garda Síochána, and other relevant institutions.
Diarmuid Brecknell of Belfast human rights law firm Phoenix Law is representing the men in talks with the Government to establish a public inquiry into Shine’s behaviour.
He said: “The number of victims is now at 382, with no recourse to justice. The sheer number of people still finding the courage to speak out – decades on – is extraordinary.
“If Michael Shine is capable of sitting down for a media interview to deny these allegations, then he is absolutely capable of engaging with the Gardaí and with the appropriate authorities.
“Survivors are watching this unfold in real time, and the message they’re getting is that their voices don’t matter are not being listened to. That is totally unacceptable.”
Last month Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill met with some of the victims.
Afterwards, a spokesperson for the Minister said: “She committed to engaging with the Taoiseach and to consult with others on how to best provide answers to the issues raised by Dignity4Patients on behalf of the victims.”
“The Minister committed to continuing to engage with Dignity4Patients on the issues they discussed.”