Suicide attempt ahead of sex abuse sentence

A former Christian Brother at Cork’s North Mon, who was due to be sentenced for sex assault, attempted suicide in the early hours of yesterday.

Edward Bryan, aged 61, of Martinvilla, Athboy Rd, Trim, Co Meath, had been due in Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing yesterday.

Defence barrister Brendan Kelly said: “He was taken to Navan hospital at 7am this morning and will not be here.”

Prosecution barrister Ray Boland said: “It was a suicide attempt, I understand.”

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin adjourned sentencing until July 27.

Mr Boland said one of the two victims had travelled to Cork from outside the country to be present to give his victim impact evidence. The judge agreed to take that evidence in the sentencing hearing yesterday in Bryan’s absence.

The injured party said: “I first became aware of the accused whilst playing basketball for the school. At that time, being a 14-year-old boy, the accused appeared an enigmatic figure who most of the basketball boys liked due to his friendly personality and position within the school.

“As a result of the position, the accused had access to young vulnerable boys who he would take under his wing in mentoring roles, building a relationship of trust between them.

“This was the case with me when the accused arranged a mentoring session one evening at the school. That evening was when he abused the position of trust and played on my vulnerability as a young child.

“The sexual abuse inflicted on me that evening left me feeling scared, confused, and ultimately embarrassed to the point where I never confided with anyone about what had occurred until recently.

“As a result of your abuse, I felt you took that element of trust from me, which has had a detrimental effect on my further life, in being unable to place my trust in people and feeling paranoid in regard to what their true intentions were. For so long, I could not give my trust to anyone, which I feel inhibited my social development as an adult.

“I have carried around the shame of his sexual abuse for my entire adult life, never addressing it and always shutting it away from my memories out of embarrassment.

“I suppose I would say that you have stolen a moment of my life that I can never have back and will always have a resounding effect on my life.

“Ultimately, I am happy to be here today finally addressing the issues he inflicted on me. The embarrassment, shame, and lack of trust in people have dogged me for my life, and today is where it all ends. Today is the day I will shed all these emotions in relation to him and move forward, happy in the knowledge that I have addressed him personally as an adult and not as a young, vulnerable boy who had no control over your actions all those years ago.

“I hope he recognises and appreciates the effects his actions have had on me. I appreciate your admission of guilty and prolonging my suffering by not having this matter go through a trial.”

Bryan was arraigned on the two charges — one relating to a schoolboy at the North Mon secondary school in Cork between September 1979 and June 1981 and the other relating to another boy at the school in September 1986, and he replied guilty to both charges.