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  Jail Sex-Abuse Priest, Victims' Group Urges
A Child Abuse Victims Group Has Launched a Fight to Have Jailed a Former Yorkshire Priest Who Walked Free from Court Last Week after Admitting Sex Offences on Deaf Children

By Jane Charnley
Yorkshire Post Today [Britain]
April 18, 2005

National support group Phoenix Survivors has asked the Attorney General to review the sentence handed to Neil Gallanagh, 75, who was spared jail after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting two pupils of St John's Catholic School for the Deaf, in Boston Spa, between 1975 and 1980, when he was resident chaplain. He was given a six-month sentence suspended at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

Recorder of Leeds Norman Jones QC said that although the regime at the time would have put the sex offender behind bars, his guilty plea, age, recent ill health and good character for the last 30 years meant jail was inappropriate. He was put on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years, banned from having unsupervised contact with any under-16s and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.

It was agreed that a further 12 charges against Gallanagh of indecent assault dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, involving five other under-16 boys – including an 11-year-old – would be "left on the file".

Phoenix Survivors said it wanted the sentence to be increased on the grounds that it was "unduly lenient". It said the Yorkshire Post's coverage of the case had prompted 40 people to contact the group to voice their outrage. Founder Shy Keenan said: "They go on about age as if that's some kind of excuse. Seventy-five is not necessarily old in today's terms. It's another 10 years of molesting children.

"His broken trust was more serious because the children were deaf. They don't have much protection as children – the more challenged they are, the harder it becomes and there are no deaf signs for sexual abuse." The Crown Prosecution Service said it was unable to comment on sentences. The Attorney General's office confirmed that the case papers had been requested following the Phoenix appeal. A decision on whether to refer it to the Court of Appeal would be taken within 28 days of sentencing.