Delay into Shine abuse claims review
The Irish Examiner has learned that the review – which was set up in May and only meant to last for 10 weeks – has been the subject of significant delays which have not been explained.
Three letters sent by support group Dignity4Patients to Health Minister Mary Harney in August and September asked the senior Cabinet member to explain what was behind the delay.
However, despite the review led by former High Court judge TC Smyth involving claims by at least 180 people that they were sexually abused by Shine while he worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda between the mid-70s and mid-90s, Ms Harney has failed to respond.
“We continue to await the report of the Drogheda review,” confirmed the latest letter by the group, sent on September 21.
The group said at the meeting with Ms Harney in October 2009 theyexpressed concerns about a review into alleged “abuse of patients by Michael Shine as we felt an inquiry was the most appropriate step”.
“We raised concerns about the length of time it took to carry out the Leas Cross review – approximately one year – and you assured us that the Shine case would take 10 or 11 weeks.
“It is now 11 months since that meeting and the Drogheda review has not been completed. We are requesting you to immediately seek the report from Judge TC Smyth without further delay,” it said.
Dignity4Patients has yet to receive a response.
The delay is the latest hurdle to have emerged against a formal state investigation into Shine’s actions.
The most recent occurred in May, when the Irish Examiner revealed medical records vital to an ongoing Garda investigation into the case have disappeared from hospital files.
The documents include treatment records, admission/discharge books and X-rays relating to some of Shine’s former patients.
In some located records notes relating to the hospital attendance where an incident is alleged to have taken place could not be found.
Under legislation, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is obliged to hold onto this information for 30 years.
The hospital was the subject of similar issues during the investigation into disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary.
After a Prime Time Investigates programme on the issue last year shows that Shine had been working in Indian orphanages in recent years, Fine Gael narrowly lost a Dáil vote in favour of a formal inquiry into the case by 76 votes to 73.
Shine’s private practice on Fair Street in Drogheda was still open at the time of his public retirement on a full pension in 1995.
The 79-year-old was cleared of 11 indecent assault sample charges in a 2003 District Court Case, but was later struck off during a Medical Council fitness to practice hearing.
On May 5, he was arrested at his home in Dublin city and taken to Drogheda Garda Station for questioning before being released without charge.
Shine has always insisted that he is innocent of theallegations.
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