A very brave and candid interview saw abuse victim Damien Hetherington speak out after the conviction of his teacher John McClean for sexually abusing many boys for decades.
Asked why he was able to come forward after 47 years, Damien said that “if it wasn’t for Gemma O’Doherty, a lot of people’s favourite punchbag, we wouldn’t be here today”, he said outside court.
RTE showed the interviewed on the Six One news showing Damien saying:
“Gemma pieced the whole thing together, tracked us down, wrote articles about it”, and encouraged all victims to pursue the case.
A retired teacher who sexually and indecently abused 23 children over the space of 17 years has been thrown into prison for eight years.
RTE reports that John McClean, of Casimir Avenue in Harold’s Cross, Dublin, admitted to sexually abusing children at Terenure College in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Along with being an English teacher, McClean was a rugby coach and worked in costumes for the boys’ school plays.
The national broadcaster reports that McClean was sitting in the dock today at the trial at the Dublin Criminal Court. He pleaded guilty to 27 indecent and sexual assaults on 23 children at school between 1973 and 1990.
Later, one of McClean’s victims, Damien Hetherington, said that the paedophile had been exposed and received what he deserved and encouraged other victims to come forward that it’s never too late to do so.
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