A Christian Brother who admitted 53 charges of sexual assault and gross indecency on boys over many years has been remanded in custody for sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Brother Patrick John (Jack) Kelly (50), with an address at York Road, Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty to 51 charges of sexual assault and two charges of gross indecency. The offences involved 11 victims and occurred in Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Wicklow, Kildare and Tipperary between 1977 and 1988.
Judge Frank O'Donnell remanded Kelly for sentence on December 15th. It took the court registrar, Mr Brendan Scollen, over 10 minutes to read out the 53 charges to which Kelly pleaded guilty from an indictment of some 150.
Ms Mary Ellen Ring, prosecuting, said she had no instructions that publication of Kelly's name would identify any of the victims, but the precise locations and addresses of the offences should not be given. Some of these were schools and some were private addresses.
Ms Ring said one of the victims was now in the US, but gardai were satisfied they could have all the victim impact reports available for the December 15th hearing.
Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, said Kelly was not applying for bail and could be remanded in custody.
He agreed that publication of his client's name would not identify the victims so long as addresses were not given.
Judge O'Donnell ruled that Kelly's name and address could be published but that the precise locations of the offences should not be.
The Christian Brothers, in a statement after the brief hearing, said the order was deeply saddened by Kelly's actions and extended its deepest apologies to all who had suffered as a result.
"We recognise the severe pain, hurt and trauma that has been caused. We also acknowledge the betrayal of trust involved," the statement said.
The Christian Brothers said that in this case and in all cases the order was co-operating fully with Garda investigations. The order, in a public message last March, encouraged those who had been hurt in any school or institution with which it was or had been associated to come forward.
"In keeping with this message we invite anyone who has been hurt in this case to avail of the structures and supports the Christian Brothers have put in place. We realise the journey towards any form of reconciliation is going to be long and painful but we are determined to continue on this journey," the statement concluded.