Abuse victim: Elaine’s story
Her mother walked into her house — shocked. The woman had just heard about a local priest who was being linked to abuse in the diocese. He was a family friend for many years. The minute the elderly woman voiced his name, Elaine disclosed that she too had been a victim.
Somehow, not until her mother had opened the door on her abuse, had she allowed herself to acknowledge the abuse, never mind verbalise it.
For years, as a schoolgirl, Elaine had been at the beck and call of the priest. He used to ask her to his home to "mind the phone" in case there were any calls from sick people. However, he wanted far more once she arrived.
Every time, he blamed her for what transpired. "Look at what you made me do," or "look at what you have done to me," he’d say, shaking his head. The little girl didn’t know what to do. Was she making him do this to her? This was all her fault?
"When my mother walked in and said his name, I just blurted it out. He had been a family friend for years.
"He attended my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary, he used to have Sunday lunch at our house. We used to be invited to his house for dinner. He comforted us after my father died. He married my cousins," she said.
The priest was such a family friend that he’d just wander in the door, often without knocking.
Once Elaine’s memory started to return, it all began to make sense. Since she was 14, she had been in counselling suffering from panic attacks and depression and had started taking Valium.
Her abuse meant she had a chronic fear of vomiting and of being away from her parents. In her early 50s now, she never married as she said she "just couldn’t".
The following February, she made her statement to a local garda. Just six weeks later, the DPP informed her that he was not prosecuting.
"He is a dangerous bastard. He was always in my family house. God, he was so trusted by my parents," she said.
Elaine’s sister also used to be encouraged to visit the priest. Her sister said she can’t remember anything from that time but after Elaine disclosed her abuse, she said "maybe that’s why I can’t bear being touched".
Another woman has also told her that she too was abused by this alleged paedophile. More of the victims say they know of other victims who don’t want to or aren’t ready to come forward.