A Co Cork woman who was sexually abused by the principal of a primary school while she was a pupil there in the 1970s has been awarded more than €300,000 damages and legal costs against him by the High Court.
The award to Louise O'Keeffe is against Leo Hickey, a former principal of Dunderrow national school, Kinsale, who pleaded guilty in 1998 to 21 assault charges from a sample 380 counts involving 20 girls. He was jailed for three years.
Ms O'Keeffe still faces a State legal bill of an estimated €500,000 arising from her unsuccessful claim that the State was vicariously liable for the assaults on her by Hickey.
Mr Justice Eamon de Valera awarded Ms O'Keeffe (42), Thoam, Dunmanway, Co Cork, damages of €305,104. Ms O'Keeffe said she was assaulted by Hickey about 20 times from 1973, when she was eight and he was school principal.
In 2004, Ms O'Keeffe took High Court proceedings against Hickey and the State. Judgment was obtained in default against Hickey, who did not appear and was not represented.
The case continued against the State. Earlier this year, Mr Justice de Valera found the Minister for Education and the State had no liability for Hickey's assaults. The State was awarded its estimated €500,000 costs.
In his judgment yesterday, Mr Justice de Valera said she had suffered "catastrophic injuries" as a result of the assault. It was "very difficult to award a proper figure in a case like this". His sympathies were with Ms O'Keeffe but the Supreme Court had placed a cap on damages. Taking those matters into account, he awarded €250,000 in general damages and €5,104 in special damages.
He awarded an additional €50,000 for aggravated and exemplary damages. Hickey had aggravated the situation by not coming to court. He also awarded legal costs against Hickey.