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SELF-CONFESSED PAEDOPHILE BEGINS 7 YEAR PRISON TERM A 56 year old priest from the Archdiocese of Tuam was led away in handcuffs last Wednesday after being sentenced to seven years imprisonment on charges of indecently assaulting eight young girls. Fr. Martin Greaney, a native of Tuam, Co. Galway, described as a priest who "had a magnetic affect on children" pleaded guilty to a number of charges of indecent assault. The offences involved almost thirty young people over a 30 year period and they took place in Counties Mayo, Galway and Tipperary. Judge Harvey Kenny, sitting at Ballina Circuit Court, imposed a prison term after studying victim impact reports which showed that many of the youngsters had suffered severe phycological trauma over the incidents which occurred in such locations as presbyteries, a church sanctuary, a church gallery, a school lunchroom and the bedroom of a house where a Station Mass was being celebrated. Judge Kenny said the priest, who was an admitted paedophile, had destroyed the lives of many young people and had turned them away from the Church. A statement was read in court from the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Michael Neary expressing great concern for the victims, for the trauma and suffering they had endured, and their families. Detective Garda John Clancy said the first set of offences came to light in 1996 as a result of complaints made by a psychiatrist in Dublin. He began the investigation in the case of a 14-years old girl in the course of which he became aware of other victims. The girl made a statement in which she said she was at a wedding in August 1988. She knew the accused who was a curate in her area.
KISSED After becoming separated from her friends she accepted a lift home from the accused whom she knew as a family friend. He suggested they go to his presbytery to see if there were any messages on his answering machine. Along the way he touched her knee and in the presbytery assaulted her, kissed her, and unbuttoned her blouse before touching a breast outside her bra. Detective Clancy said a victim impact statement showed the girl was very upset psychologically, was full of anger and wanted to kill him. In her victim impact statement the girl, now 24, said she had attended a psychiatrist and added: "It is like I had no childhood. Part of me wants to get him. I feel older people resented me for reporting a priest." A psychological counsellor wrote a report in which he said the girl was severely and emotionally stressed and had to go on medication. She still reacted with extreme fear to the incidents of August '88. Replying to Mr. Conor Fahy B.L (Prosecuting) Detective Clancy said the girls reaction when the priest assaulted her was- 'how am I going to get out of this?' The girl was only 5'-2" and she had been restrained by the defendant from getting away. Detective Clancy said the girl was now enraged and angry, has low self esteem. Her experience had diminished her regard for the Church and she had on a number of occasions run away from home and her work because of panic. She had to be brought home on a number of occasions by Gardai. Detective Garda Clancy said the girls' parents did not encourage her to report the matter and this led to a conflict within the family. Later in evidence the Detective said "she has a ferocious fear of the accused man". He said the second victim was a friend of the first. She had called to the sacristy on a few occasions between Sept 1986 and March 1987. Fr. Greaney kissed her and sexually assaulted her. He ejaculated beside her. The girl was very distraught by the incident. On another occasion when the girls mother was sick the accused had touched her on the vagina and breasts when she called to the presbytery. Witness said the victim was now 25-years old, a single parent with a young daughter. Her mother had died shortly after the incident and her father had been an alcoholic. The victim's family regarded the priest as a friend and one of the incidents had taken place a week before her mother's death. DISTRUST As a result of what happened the girl had stopped going to Mass. The Detective added that the girl had lost all her self confidence in meeting and talking to people and had taken to drinking to ease the pain. He continued : "She still has a deep distrust of clergy and the Church." She had taken the view that because a priest was involved that nobody would believe her. Detective Clancy recalled in 1987 the defendant had gone to a school yard where girls from 6th class had gathered around him. "He had a magnetic effect on children", the Detective said. He added that it was lunchtime and the defendant put his hand around the victim. He then put his hand down inside her blouse and felt her breast. While all this was happening he continued to talk nonchalantly. The girl was "dying of embarrassment" witness said and wondered whether the others noticed. The defendant then put his hand down to the genital area but when he touched a sanitary towel he withdrew his hand. Detective Clancy gave details of a Station Mass where a young girl had wandered away from Mass into one of the bedrooms and began playing with toys. After Mass the defendant made his way to the room and put the girl lying on a bed. He took down her clothes and began to assault her in the vaginal area. Afterwards he rearranged their clothing and when back to join the party. The girl told the Detective "I cannot trust any priest now. I hope he gets what he deserves in court." Detective Clancy explained that as a result of press reports of a court hearing which suggested that all the defendant's offences related to the 1980's he was contacted by a woman who told him she had been assaulted while the defendant was a curate in a Co. Galway parish between 1979 and 1983. Witness investigated the claims and the woman made a statement in which she said that while she was in 6th class the defendant had abused her systematically. The defendant asked the girl to go to the shop for his paper and to bring it to him at lunchtime when he would fondle her. The girl, then aged 10, would be rewarded with sweets and sometimes £1. This was common for other victims also. Witness read from a victim impact assessment which stated the woman had now 3 children, was separated but living with a boyfriend. In the statement the girl said she now hates the Church and blamed Fr. Greaney for breaking up her family. She said there was a lot of anger in her which she took out on people occasionally. "I want to see Fr. Greaney sentenced to life," she explained. "If he does not get life I feel he will do this to other children."
Det. Garda Clancy said that when he put the woman's accusations were admitted by Fr. Greaney. It was the first time he had acknowledged any impropriety on his part and that had been a source of some relief for the victim. Witness said he had met the defendant's solicitor who had handed over a statement admitting offences against children dating from 1969 up to the time which he was suspended in 1995. Both sexes, male and female, were involved in the assaults, Det. Gda. Clancy said. Witness gave details of another girl who used to visit her aunt who worked in a College. One day in August 1984 she was alone in the house with the defendant who put her sitting on his knee and fondled her genital area. She had pushed him away. Since the incident the girl had never trusted men. DEPRESSION Det. Gda. Clancy said that the girl's husband, when told about what happened, blamed her. "He is only blaming me because he can't get at Fr. Greaney. I feel very angry. I hope they lock him up and throw the key away." Since the incident, Det. Gda. Clancy said, the girl had been prone to mood swings, depression and flash backs. The girl had told him "I don't think he deserves to be called a priest. He does not deserve the title Father." Det. Garda Clancy said the victim's husband has directed that she take an action against Fr. Greaney and the Church because he was not going to support her. Continuing his evidence Det. Gda Clancy said that another girl who was 8 or 9 at the time was indecently assaulted in the bedroom of a presbytery when she came to drop off envelopes. She also had been assaulted in the gallery of the church when the priest asked her to hold his erect penis through his clothes. In the victim impact statement the woman said "I hate men in suits and priests," adding that she hoped Fr. Greaney would be imprisoned for what he had done. The girl said that over a two year period the assaults happened a few times a week. Once the priest had put her in a bed and kissed her private parts. This was very dangerous for the girl and frightening, the victim impact study said. Det. Gda. Clancy said the accused was aged 56 and a native of Tuam, Co. Galway. He had attended the local CBS and St. Jarlath's College and was ordained in 1967. He had served in a number of parishes in Galway and Mayo before his suspension in 1995. Det. Gda. Clancy said the complaints about Fr. Greaney had come as an extreme shock to him as the priest was regarded as an ideal P.P. who was very interested in youth. In reply to Mr. John Jordan, B.L., representing the defendant, witness agreed that Fr. Greaney had been of a generous disposition to the poor and had donated a kidney to his brother in 1972. The defendant was an active club leader and used to take young people on outings. "It can't be taken from him that he did good in the parish when he was there", witness said. Det. Gda. Clancy added that Fr. Greaney had got treatment at Our Lady of Victory Trust in Stroud, England, for his psycho-sexual problems. The defendant had paedophile tenancies over a number of years and had wanted to own up for the sake of the children and for his own sake. The average age of the children were 12 years. Fr. Greaney said he had found it impossible to control himself and he wanted to say sorry to the victims and the Church. He would do anything to be rid of these tendencies. APOLOGISE Addressing the Judge, Mr. John Jordan said it might be a small consolation to the victims but the defendant wanted to apologise sincerely for his actions. He would now have to live with the consequences of those actions. Mr. Jordan said Fr. Greaney had been highly regarded in the communities where he served and in 1972 he donated a kidney to his brother at a time when there was high risk associated with such a donation. Fr. Greaney, Mr. Jordan added, is an admitted paedophile. He regretted everything that happened but there was little he could do to control himself. He had given full co-operation in the investigation and had come on well in terms of rehabilitation. As a mitigating factor, Mr. Jordan said there was no penetration involved only groping. He asked the Judge to treat the accused with as much leniency as he could afford, taking cognisance of the plea of guilty and of the cooperation which had been extended. A representative for the Archbishop of Tuam Dr. Neary, took to the witness stand and made a brief statement. Fr. John O'Boyle said that on behalf of the Archbishop he wanted to express great concern for the victims, for the trauma and suffering they had endured, and their families. Fr. O'Boyle explained that the pastoral services of the diocese would be put at their disposal of the victims. Fr. O'Boyle expressed sadness for Fr. Greaney and his family and prayed "that the ministry of priests in the diocese will not be jeopardised as a result." Prior to sentencing the defendant to seven one-year sentences which will run consecutively, Judge Harvey Kenny told Fr. Greaney he was very conscious of the fact he was a Catholic priest, respected and trusted, who enjoyed the confidence of the parishioners and parents of the young victims he had violated. The judge told the defendant he had done untold damage to parents within the community and he was sure they would find it difficult to forgive him for the trouble he had caused. The Judge added that the lives of 30 or so children had been ruined by the defendant's antics. He had ruined their capacity to form relationships, live with a husband and in one case had destroyed the relationship of a daughter and father. Judge Kenny said that through his dastardly conduct the defendant had destroyed lives. Another important factor was that it had destroyed relationships between teachers and pupils. It was important, he said, that teachers be able to relate fully to pupils in extra curricula activities such as football. The defendant's actions had made it very difficult for good teachers to fulfill their ambitions. Fr. Greaney, he said, had damaged future generations also as well as inflicting damage on the Church as several of the victims no longer go to Mass and want nothing to do with priests. The Judge added however, that the defendant had co-operated in the investigation and he wanted to give him credit for that but before passing sentence he declared that 30 young lives had been destroyed by the priest's "unsavoury activities". The Judge recommended that the defendant receive suitable treatment for his pyscho-sexual problems while in prison. Archbishop's "heartfelt sorrow" over paedophilia THE Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Michael Neary has travelled to two west of Ireland parishes to apologise personally from the altar for acts of padeophilia carried out by one of his priests when he was based there. Dr. Neary made the special journey days after 56 year old Fr. Martin Greaney had been sentenced to seven years impprisonment after admitting indecently assaulting young girls. In his statement from the altar, Dr. Neary conceded that the image of the priesthood had been damaged by what happened. The Archbishop told parishioners he knew they were disappointed over the betrayal of trust because he asked them not to give up on the faith which we cherished. Dr. Neary called for the prayers of the community for Fr. Greaney and his family.
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