I was threatened, abuse survivor group chief tells court

The Chairman of an organisation set up to support survivors of residential abuse has claimed before the High Court today that he has been threatened by a group of individuals who are attempting to take over the day-to-day running of that body.

Mr Noel C Barry, who is the chairman of Cork-based Right of Place/Second Chance, the High Court heard this evening, found a bread knife stuck in his desk

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy granted an injunction to the Right of Place/Second Chance an interim injunction against a number of individuals preventing them from trespassing or causing a nuisance at the organisation's which is located at the Lower Glanmire Road, Cork.

The Judge, who said that she saw the matter as a trespass and company law matter, granted the injunction on ex parte (one side only) basis. The Judge made the matter returnable to early next week.

In an affidavit to the court the group's Chairman Mr Noel C. Barry said that he was bringing the action because he had fears that the individuals, who he said since have attempted to take over the day to day running of the organisation, had access to confidential information about the group's members who are victims of abuse.

He said that he believed that the locks on the offices had been changed because when he tried to get access to his office he was unable. He said that the individuals in question escorted him to and from the office and locked the door behind him.

He said that while he was on holiday earlier this month a meeting took place, which he believed that 90 people attended took place in Cork. After that meeting a number allegations about him, which he said were untrue, were made.

He said that certain individuals made demands. As a result he said he gave them two offices in the building. This worked for a few days, but after a while the individuals started to make demands about access to confidential information, and he said started to engage in threatening behaviour.

Mr Barry said that he informed the Gardaí after he found the knife in the desk, and that he also removed a computer containing confidential information from the offices.

Mr Barry denied that he had refused to call an EGM. He said was re-elected as chairman of the group in August of this year for a three-year period after receiving 81% of the vote.

The organisation is managed by a committee of five former members of industrial schools and ably assisted by also, a staff of seven former residents of Industrial Schools.

It is funded by the Department of Education, and the H.S.E and is also supported by the City of Cork V.E. It has approximately 1,000 members based all over the country and in England.