Abuse blighted my life, says victim as he watches his attacker walk free

A former priest whose abuse of children in the 1970s and 1980s was featured in the Murphy Report will walk free this weekend despite receiving an 18-month jail term.

Patrick McCabe, aged 77, formerly of Alameda, California, was extradited to Ireland in Jun 2011 and has spent the past 21 months in custody awaiting sentence.

Waiving his right to anonymity, one of his victims, James Moran, aged 50, said McCabe’s assault had blighted his life. He said he went from being a happy child to contemplating suicide at the age of 18.