Retired Christian Brother jailed for abusing student

Paul Hendrick pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault

A retired Christian brother who was principal of a Dublin school has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for sexually abusing one of his students for four years.

Judge Pauline Codd said the abuse by Paul Hendrick, who is now 75, had blighted the entire secondary school experience of his victim, Kenneth Grace.

She said the case showed the life-long emotional and psychological trauma suffered by those who are sexually abused as children.

Hendrick pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecently assaulting Mr Grace when he was a pupil at the CBS school on Westland Row. Eleven other counts were taken into consideration by the judge.

The abuse started in May 1980 when Mr Grace was at the end of his first year in secondary school and continued weekly, until he was almost at the end of sixth year.

Mr Grace told the court earlier this year that he did not consider himself a survivor but was someone who got by on a daily basis.

'Hell on earth'

He said he had been left with deep emotional scars that affected him to this day.

Every day in school had been "hell on earth", he said. Hendrick had destroyed his childhood and his potential.

He said Hendrick had taken happiness out of his life forever, made sure he had no friends and turned his life into a battlefield.

The sentencing hearing was told Mr Grace was vulnerable as his father had died at a young age.

Hendrick initially gave him extra tuition and got him to help with odd jobs. He gave him gifts of sweets and cans of coke and later on cigarettes.

The first incident happened in May 1980, in the school furnace room, which Mr Grace called "the Dungeon". Hendrick began wrestling games with Mr Grace. He would restrain Mr Grace's legs and arms and would rub himself up behind him.

When this started the court heard, they would both be fully clothed, but Mr Grace told gardaí that after some time, Hendrick began to wear a fake leather thong and the activities escalated to include whipping.

Hendrick would whip Mr Grace with a leather whip or tell Mr Grace to whip him.

Mr Grace said he was too afraid to tell anyone and too young to understand what had happened.

He also described incidents which happened in a reception room in the priests’ residence and on school holidays when he was brought on camping trips to a farm owned by the Christian Brothers in Waterford and to a residence in Co Tipperary.

He said when he got older he tried to fight back by kicking Hendrick as he now realised what he was doing was wrong.

Mr Grace told gardaí that when the physical abuse stopped, Hendrick would shout at him in the classroom and other classmates did not want to be involved with him.

Breach of trust

In his victim impact evidence, he said he had struggled with depression and anxiety as a result of what had happened. He said Hendrick seemed kind and caring at first and became the father figure he never had but then his behaviour began to change.

Mr Grace said the breach of trust had affected every aspect of his life.

He outlined how he had been bullied and ridiculed by other pupils because of the attention Hendrick was giving him. And he said the abuse in the boiler room had left him with terrifying memories.

These memories paralysed him he said and had affected his relationship with his own son. He said he had phoned the Samaritans as he thought he might lose his family, but said he decided that although Hendrick had taken his childhood, he would never get his family.

Judge Codd said Mr Grace had spoken with insight and dignity and she commended him for his grace and courage.

She said his evidence brought home the life long emotional trauma and psychological pain caused by the exploitation and grooming of young people. The judge said even when the abuse was not at the very top of the scale of seriousness, it still resulted in life long psychological harm, something which was not fully recognised by society when Mr Grace was abused.

The judge said this was a significant breach of trust. Hendrick had access to Mr Grace because of his position as a teacher and a principal and he used his power to manipulate and groom him.

She said the abuse involved grooming and escalated quickly. The fact that the abuse continued over such a long period of time escalated the gravity of the offences she said.

In mitigation the judge said a psychological report showed Hendrick had demonstrated shame and insight.

She said the fact that he entered the Christian Brothers at 14 years old explained his emotional immaturity although it did not excuse the abuse.

He has no previous convictions.

The judge imposed a sentence of four years but suspended the final six months on condition that he continue to attend counselling as set out in the psychological report.

Afterwards in a statement Mr Grace described Hendrick as a monster who gave him a prison sentence no innocent child deserved.

He said Hendrick had sexually and mentally abused him on a weekly basis over four years. He said the road to justice had almost destroyed him but thanked his family, friends and investigating gardaí for their support.

And he said he hoped other victims of sexual abuse would come forward.