Victims react as convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally dies in prison aged 75
Bill Kenneally survivor says paedophile’s death brings ‘full closure’ after years of seeking justice. File picture: Sasko Lazarov
One of Bill Kenneally’s survivors has said the convicted paedophile’s death has brought a sense of “full closure” after decades of seeking justice.
Jason Clancy was among the six named victims identified in the findings of the South East Commission of Investigation, published last week, into the handling of complaints made against Kenneally, who died in Midlands Prison on Thursday at around 3.30am.
He had served 10 years of a 19-year sentence for the indecent assault of 15 boys in Waterford between 1979 and 1990.
“I was shocked when I woke up this morning to hear the news,” Mr Clancy said.
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“It is like the universe has sent us full closure really. Last week, we got closure and were vindicated with the findings of the commission and I am so glad, to be honest, that he was alive to hear the results of the commission and the findings of the report.”
He added: “I never celebrate anyone’s death or anything like that but it just gives full closure. It is like everything has come full circle now. I am not delighted, I am not sad – I feel nothing but just closure.”
The death prompted mixed emotions for another survivor, Kevin Keating.
He told the Irish Examiner: “I would have much preferred him to live out the rest of his sentence so there is no solace in his death. It is an end of a chapter and everything seems to be coming to a close now which is great.”
He added: “It is a good day, another good day. There have been enough bad days but having a feeling that chapters are closing, we are just about there to get on with our lives.”
Kenneally died in prison on Thursday while serving a 19-year sentence for the historic sexual abuse of boys in Waterford.
The 75-year-old former basketball coach, accountant and member of a prominent Fianna Fáil family was serving a sentence for the indecent assault of 15 boys between 1979 and 1990.
Earlier this year, he underwent a partial leg amputation and had been receiving palliative care for several weeks.
His death comes a week after the publication of the South East Commission of Investigation report into the handling of allegations against him.
The inquiry examined the response of gardaí, Basketball Ireland, politicians and members of the Catholic Church to allegations of sexual abuse made against Kenneally.
The report found that knowledge of his activities had become known to two senior gardaí, a retired politician and a senior clergyman in Waterford during the late 1980s.
However, it was not until a formal complaint was made in December 2012 that he was brought to justice.
Kenneally gave evidence to the inquiry, chaired by retired judge Michael White, and said he told two senior gardaí in the boardroom of a Garda station on December 30, 1987, “what I was doing”.
The report concluded there had been a “clear and serious dereliction of duty” by gardaí.
Speaking on Thursday morning, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said Kenneally’s life was “dominated by the devastation and heinous crimes he inflicted on other people”.
“There’s a tradition in Ireland that we don’t speak ill of the dead,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“But I have to say it’s hard to stick to that tradition in respect of the death of Bill Kenneally, and that’s all I’ll say in respect of that.”
Mr O’Callaghan said work is under way to identify a date in July for the delivery of a formal State apology to Kenneally’s survivors.
The minister recently apologised to survivors for what he described as the wholly inadequate Garda investigation carried out in 1987 and for the clear dereliction of duty by then chief superintendent Sean Cashman and acting superintendent PJ Hayes.
He confirmed that, following discussions with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, a memorandum will shortly be brought to Cabinet to begin the formal process of offering Kenneally’s victims a full State apology.
Mr O’Callaghan also said he intends to bring the final report of the Commission of Investigation before the Dáil as a priority.
He further told survivors that he had accepted a recommendation from Judge White to refer the issue of misconduct in public office to the Law Reform Commission for consideration as a standalone statutory offence.
Speaking after news of Kenneally’s death emerged, another survivor, Colin Power, said he was “glad” his abuser lived to see survivors vindicated and had served a decade of his sentence.
“I’m just glad he saw us being vindicated,” Mr Power said.
The Irish Prison Service confirmed there had been a death in custody at Midlands Prison.
It said all deaths in custody “are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Síochána, where circumstances warrant”.
The cause of death will be determined by the Coroner’s Office. The deceased's next of kin have been informed.
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