Government Apology to Victims Scheduled in Dail
The Irish government is set to issue an official apology to the victims of a notorious paedophile in the Dail, the Irish parliament, on Tuesday.
Bill Kenneally was responsible for one of the most severe paedophilia cases uncovered in Ireland. He received a 19-year prison sentence for abusing 15 young boys in Waterford, a city in the south east, between 1979 and 1990.
Authorities in Ireland believe that at least 14 additional boys were also abused by Kenneally.
The basketball coach had connections to a prominent Fianna Fáil family. The apology to be delivered on Tuesday will come from a taoiseach (Irish prime minister) affiliated with this party.
Commission of Investigation Highlights Failures
A recently published Commission of Investigation report into the state's handling of complaints by victims identified a clear and serious dereliction of duty by senior gardaí (Irish police), even when judged by the standards of that time.
Kenneally died in prison only days after the report was released. Throughout his incarceration, he did not express any remorse for his crimes.
In 1987, Kenneally admitted to senior gardaí that he had sexually abused teenage boys and claimed to have provided the names of seven victims. Despite this, he was neither arrested nor prosecuted at that time and continued to abuse children.
Delayed Investigation and Abuse Methods
There was no further contact from gardaí until 2012 when Jason Clancy, one of Kenneally's victims, filed a complaint, prompting a full investigation.
Kenneally groomed children by exploiting trust, affection, and fear. He threatened victims, supplied them with alcohol, and offered money. He restrained, tortured, and abused them, photographing many with a Polaroid camera. According to the chairperson of the Commission of Investigation, these photographs served as "effective blackmail" to ensure the boys' silence.
Family and Political Connections Under Scrutiny
The commission also criticised Kenneally's cousin, former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally, for failing to contact child protection agencies after becoming aware of the abuse in 2001.
Victim's Response to Apology
Jason Clancy, who made the first formal complaint and advocated for the establishment of the Commission of Investigation, spoke on RTE's Morning Ireland about the forthcoming apology. He stated that the apology "adds closure" for victims after a "hard battle".
"The state apology will be accepted," Clancy said.
"An apology from Fianna Fáil itself would be nice but if it has to be dragged out it is not an apology," he added.
Clancy also accused Fianna Fáil of using its power to keep the abuse "covered up."
