Abuser 'never employed by school'
A serial sex abuser who preyed on boys at a summer school building even after being convicted was not employed there as a caretaker, one of its directors has claimed.
Donal O Loinsigh, who co-runs Ard Scoil Mhuire in Derrybeg, Co Donegal, denied paedophile Michael Ferry, 55, worked full-time for the college.
“Michael Ferry did not have employers, because he was not employed,” he said.
Jailing Ferry yesterday for 14 years for raping and molesting four boys, judge Paul Carney said a disturbing feature of the case was that he was kept on at the school despite a previous conviction for abusing a child in 2002.
Judge Carney said this must have been known to local gardaí and the school authorities.
But Mr O Loinsigh, one of three directors of Colaiste Cholmcille, which runs Irish language summer courses at the former Ard Scoil Mhuire school building, said Ferry was known locally as the caretaker but was never contractually employed by the present authorities.
While he was previously paid on a casual basis to look after the upkeep of the building, Mr O Loinsigh told the Press Association they took the school keys off him as soon as they learned of the charges against him in 2002.
But he admitted Ferry, from Bunbeg, Gweedore, continued to do odd-jobs around the building, either paid for by the college authorities or sub-contracted by other workers hired in to maintain the school over the winter, since then.
“He would have done odd jobs under supervision, I mean everybody was informed,” he said.
“This was no secret, if he had to do something he was well-monitored.”
Mr O Loinsigh said summer courses run at Ard Scoil Mhuire were only for adults and Ferry’s latest victims were not students there. There are no courses there this year because of declining demand.
The college director said he was notified about the most recent charges against Ferry by the Health Service Executive (HSE) last May. The school authorities were left traumatised and dumbfounded about the revelations, he said.
Ard Scoil Mhuire is owned by Colaiste Cholmcille, which is a charitable foundation, said Mr O Loinsigh.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said a preliminary Garda report into the case showed the force informed the then Health Board on October 16 2002 about Ferry's conviction and where he was believed to be working.
Local gardaí also recall the school owner was in the court for the criminal proceedings and concerns were raised directly with the owner about his work at the school.
Mr Shatter said: “This makes it all the more necessary for those who chose to continue the employment of this person to explain themselves.”
Mr O Loinsigh has said a further statement will be issued by the college in the coming days.
One of Ferry’s victims, Derek Mulligan – who waived his right to anonymity - described his abuser as a demon and demanded to know why was still employed after 2002.
Ferry, who was given a six-month suspended sentence and placed on the sex offenders register for five years after his previous conviction, went on to groom his latest victims by supplying them with alcohol, cigarettes and money.
He pleaded guilty yesterday at the Central Criminal Court to 38 sample charges, which included 17 rapes, 18 sex assaults, one indecent assault and two charges of production of child pornography on dates between July 1 1990 and September 31 2005.
The boys were not pupils at the school but used to go there to play football and hang around, the court was told.
