89-year-old sex offender walks free from court

One of the oldest sex offenders ever to come before the courts, a Brother of Charity who was addicted to the sexual abuse of boys for 40 years, walked free today after receiving a suspended three-year sentence.

James Redmond, otherwise known as Brother Eunan, received the sentence from Judge Patrick J Moran at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of sexually assaulting one boy and three counts of sexually assaulting another boy when they were aged from 10 to their mid-teens at Lota in Cork.

Brother Eunan said: "I wish with all my heart to apologise to all the people I have injured during my life time, the children I abused who were dependent on me for education and care and everything in their lives."

Judge Moran referred to a four-year prison sentence, three years of which were suspended, that was imposed on the same defendant for similar crimes in 1999, for which he ended up serving a total of nine months, according to Inspector Senan Ryan.

Judge Moran said the crimes for which Redmond faced sentencing today would have been taken into consideration with that 1999 sentence had they been before the court at the time.

Spokesman for survivors organisation, Right of Place Second Chance, John Barrett said afterwards: "Survivors out there needed a token sentence to be imposed even if it was only a month. Why not put him in prison for a time? It would have been something."

Mr Barrett argued strongly that paedophilia was not taken seriously enough in Ireland and that the Government seemed to be waiting for a child to be killed before responding properly.

He also blamed the media for not keeping the matter on the political agenda.

The Brothers of Charity issued a statement offering deepest apologies to the two men who were abused.

"We hope that the conclusion of the court process will help to create some healing for the hurt caused to their lives."

Judge Moran said, "These were offences committed against young boys who were in care at the time in a position of trust. One can only imagine what these boys went through at your hands.

"It must have been shocking for them and they were a particular type of boys who were at best slow learners.

"I take into consideration that you served a prison sentence. If I had been aware of these offences at the time I do not think I would have increased the sentence," Judge Moran said.

He also put the defendant, who will be 90 in January, on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.