Anger as jail term of former principal convicted of abusing 11 girls is reduced

A support group for survivors of sexual abuse has criticised a Court of Appeal decision to reduce the sentence imposed on an 81-year-old former primary school principal, jailed for indecently assaulting 11 of his female pupils.

Commenting on the case of Patrick Barry, who has had his six-year jail term reduced to two by the Court of Appeal, the One in Four organisation said there was a problem with inconsistent sentencing for abuse convictions across the country’s circuit courts.

Barry, of Well Rd, Kilkee, Co Clare, had pleaded not guilty to 67 charges of indecently assaulting 11 women on dates between 1964 and 1985, while they attended Moyasta National School. He was found guilty by a jury of 59 counts of indecent assault and not guilty of the remaining eight counts by direction of the trial judge Judge Gerald Keyes.