New allegation against paedophile priest

A man who says he was a victim of convicted paedophile priest Fr Ronald Bennett is to return to Ireland to give a statement about his abuser, The Irish Timeshas learned.

John McMahon (52) was a pupil at Gormanston College in Co Meath from 1968 to 1973 and says he was abused by the Franciscan priest on two occasions between January and June 1969.

Bennett pleaded guilty last year to indecently assaulting boys at Gormanston College between 1974 and 1981. No charges were brought against him for earlier or later years. Initially given a five-year suspended sentence, his case was appealed by the Director of Public Prosecutions and he was subsequently jailed for 2½ years.

Bennett was ordained in 1961 and appointed to the college as spiritual adviser and sports master in 1963. He also became bursar in 1969 and became involved in the Irish Schools Swimming Association in 1974.

Complaints were made against Bennett in 1973 to a member of management at the college by the parents of one of the boys he abused. The parents were given assurances that the priest would no longer be allowed to be alone with boys, but he continued abusing until at least 1981.

Mr McMahon, who lives in Massachusetts in the US with his wife and four children, is from Ardee, Co Louth. He says Bennett abused him during meetings at his office when he was 13 years old.

The Franciscan priest had a traffic-light system set up outside his office. He would summon boys over the tannoy system and they would wait outside until the light turned from red to green, before entering.

Mr McMahon told The Irish Timesthe priest asked him questions about his maturity before indecently assaulting him.

"He buttered me up the first time; he knew I was vulnerable. My dad was dying basically from 1968 to 1972 and Ronnie was there to advise and console me," he said. "All was secure with the red traffic light holding the outside world at bay. This was done in his office to the right of the college entrance."

He said Bennett lost interest in him once he bulked up and began to look older.

"He preferred the young boys. I think he did this to a couple of first-year boys every year; people joked about it but it was no joke," he said.

Mr McMahon said he was informed by gardaí that a notarised affidavit filed from the US would not be sufficient to initiate a criminal complaint, so he will travel to Ireland to file the official complaint in the next couple of weeks.

He said he would like to have someone apologise to him for what happened at Gormanston College and he hopes that by coming forward he will encourage other men who suffered at the hands of Bennett to speak out.

He has also consulted his mother, who still lives in Ireland and is supporting his decision to come forward.

"We've always believed in doing what is right," he said.