'We were let down' – Victims of Bill Kenneally make statement on state failures to ensure justice
Speaking after the court case in 2016, when Bill Kenneally was jailed, were victims Colin Power, Jason Clancy, Kevin Keating and Barry Murphy.
A final report into how allegations of abuse against paedophile Bill Keanneally were handled has been published.
The report details in depth the scale of Kenneally’s crimes and how individuals and institutions locally and nationally responded to these crimes.
Kenneally is currently serving an 18-year sentence for abusing 10 boys in Waterford between 1984 to 1987.
Phoenix Law, representing 11 of Kenneally's victims, have published a joint statement from victims Jason Clancy, Kevin Keating, Colin Power, Barry Murphy and Paul Walsh.
“After years of fighting for the truth, today is a very important day," their statement reads.
"We were abused as young boys in Waterford over 40 years ago - it should never have taken this long for the truth to come out.
"From the most recent report to An Garda Síochána almost 15 years ago to today, it has been a painstaking process that has taken a heavy mental toll on all of us.
"It is vindicating to know that we were right all along, and that we were let down by every institution that was there to protect us.”
Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law who acted for the victims, added that victims of Kenneally were "abandoned and isolated by the very state who ought to have protected them".
"In 2016, they refused to be silent speaking truth to power in their calls for an independent human rights compliant investigation. Today, those young boys stand tall as grown men vindicated in the streets of Dublin.
"This report confirms what they always knew – that they were failed by every limb of the state. Those involved ought to hold their head in shame.
"Today marks an end to this long and dark episode in the history of Ireland where for too long those limbs of the state adopted a 'Hear no evil, Speak no evil' mentality. Today marks an end to these victims isolation.
"It is those perpetrators and state actors, who for many decades evaded justice, now stand isolated in the dock of accountability. The state must now own its failings and apologise to these victims without any further delay.”
