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  Boy's Life Ruined by Father Figure

By Frances Gibb
The Times [Britain]
April 18, 2005

THE family of Mr A are devout Roman Catholics. He is the second youngest of seven children. The family attended Christ the King Church, Coundon, in Coventry, where there was a large Irish Roman Catholic community.

The family took part in social activities at the church and in the social club affiliated to it. The church was very much part of their lives.

Father Clonan was greatly respected in the community. He was a regular visitor at Mr A’s home and officiated at family weddings and christenings. He was trusted implicitly, Mr A looked upon him as a father figure and relied heavily on him.

When he was 8, in 1978, Mr A became involved with activities arranged by the church, such as Cub Scouts, and began doing odd jobs for pocket money from Father Clonan. He began spending increasing amounts of time with the priest and went on trips with him to London and Ireland.

Father Clonan started to assault Mr A sexually. The assaults took place between one and three times a week over ten years. On each occasion, Mr A would be given money.

He told police: "When the abuse first started, when I was eight, I didn’t realise what was happening, I didn’t realise I was being sexually abused. By the time I realised what was going on I was too afraid to say anything to anyone."

Even when Mr A was about 12 or 13 he was regularly being seriously sexually assaulted.

He felt there was no way out. "At the age of 12 I told him I was going to the police," he said. "He told me that another boy went to the police and they did nothing."

Mr A told no one of the abuse until 1992, when he was in his twenties and working as a plasterer. He became seriously mentally ill and, his counsel said, "his life crumbled".

He underwent lengthy treatment as a mental patient. He now suffers from a serious disabling mental condition which all psychiatric experts agree can be attributed to the sexual abuse. His own expert says he suffers from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The revelation of the abuse tore his family apart. They eventually felt they had to move from the area to Northern Ireland.

Mr A is now required to live in a mental health hostel and is cared for by mental health nurses. He cannot study, train or work and cannot form a normal relationship with other people.