High Court strikes out abuse case from 40 years ago
The High Court has struck out an action for damages by a former altar boy who claims he was sexually abused by a member of a religious order over 40 years ago.
President Nicholas Kearns has ruled it would be patently unfair to allow the case proceed at this remove.
The man in this case alleges between 1965 and 1970 that he was abused as an altar boy by Brother Martin Carey a member of the Redemporist Order at Sexton Street in Limerick.
The court heard in 1993, following a troubled adolescence, he lodged a complaint with the monastery, but was told the brother in question denied the allegations.
The man said he was left feeling humiliated that he had not been believed and psychologically incapable of bringing legal proceedings for damages until recently.
However, today the Redemporists succeeded in getting his case struck out on the basis that more than 40 years on it would be too difficult for the order to defend, particularly as the alleged abuser is now dead.
