Abuse victims withdrew cases under duress

Two-thirds of sex abuse victims in schools who had cases like Louise O’Keeffe’s pending against the Department of Education withdrew them after being warned of the financial consequences by the State.

The Supreme Court had ruled against her claim that the State had a liability for her abuse at school in the 1970s in Dec 2008.

Between then and Jun 2009 when Ms O’Keeffe lodged proceedings in the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in her favour this week, the 135 claimants in similar cases were sent letters by the State Claims Agency (SCA).