Shine patients demand review of trial

ALLEGED victims of former consultant surgeon Michael Shine, who was struck off for sexually abusing patients, have demanded a review of the criminal trial that cleared him of sex offences.

Shine, who worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, until 1995, was acquitted of 10 charges in relation to five former male patients at his trial in Dundalk in 2003. But last year he was found guilty by the Medical Council of sexual abuse amounting to professional misconduct and was removed from the register of practitioners.

A newly formed campaign group, Dignity for Patients, now wants a full independent inquiry into his behaviour at the hospital over a 30-year period and say the way the criminal investigation and trial were carried out must also be reviewed.

Spokeswoman, Bernadette Sullivan, a former nurse at the hospital who turned whistleblower, said around 200 men now allege they were sexually abused by Shine and gardaí are investigating 40 complaints.

However, she told a press conference yesterday that since a Prime Time investigation into the scandal was aired on Monday night, more people had been in touch for the first time. “It’s my sense that there are a lot more men who were abused by Michael Shine that we are not aware of,” she said.

“There are many questions about the whole conduct of the trial itself.”

They included why the trial was held locally instead of in Dublin when it meant it would be difficult to get an impartial jury, why so few cases were selected to be tried and why the prosecution called no independent witnesses, such as psychologist Joan Clinton who counselled victims and was waiting to be called, while the defence called a string of Shine’s former colleagues to testify to his good character.