By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — Gardai are investigating “very grave” allegations about a coverup of the rape and torture of children in care, according to a statement from the Department of Education.
A claim that a retired senior official in the Department of Education had been involved in a Dublin-based child-sex ring while he was “deeply involved” in examining alleged child abuse was made in the Dail last week by front-bench Fine Gael spokesman Phil Hogan.
The Carlow-Kilkenny TD did not name the official but said he was identified in a submission by a sex-abuse victim to the Laffoy Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.
Hogan claimed “astonishing revelations of a perceived systematic coverup of rape, gross indecency, molestation and physical abuse of children from 1978 to 1990” had come to light.
He described the official as “the golden thread weaving through a number of centers where children were in some cases tortured and forced to have sex with animals.”
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“This man was also the person who investigated allegations of sex abuse against convicted pedophiles like David Murray and Myles Brady in Kilkenny and gave them a clean bill of health,” Hogan said. “Incredibly, he gave one of the worst offenders, David Murray, a clean bill of health and this is confirmed in statements to that court case by two different witnesses.”
Hogan said the man was linked to sex-abuse investigations involving residential centers in Kilkenny city, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, and Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Hogan alleged the retired official was named in a statement by an abuse victim who claims he had sex with the man when he was a 17-year-old male prostitute in Dublin.
“The youngster recognized the department official,” Hogan said. “He had met him while he was a resident of St. Joseph’s Industrial School, Ferryhouse, Clonmel. The man was the department inspector who visited the center.”
Hogan asked in the Dail: “What does the Department of Education and Science know about this and what has it done about it? At the very least this man was guilty of gross incompetence, and at very worst there is something dark and dirty being hidden from public view.
“Something has to be done to show these poor victims that someone does care.”
Hogan said the abuse victim claimed that when he was solicited, the former official was with Malcolm MacArthur, who is currently serving a sentence for murder in Mountjoy Prison.
MacArthur was arrested in connection with two murders in the home of the attorney general in 1982 during Taoiseach Charlie Haughey’s so-called GUBU (grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre unprecedented) government. Through his solicitor, MacArthur has refuted the allegation.
In its statement, the department described the allegations made by Hogan as “very grave” and were being treated with the “utmost concern.
“As the department became aware of these allegations, they were passed to the Garda Siochana, who have confirmed they are investigating them.”
It said the minister shared in “society’s revulsion at the truly awful crimes perpetrated by child abusers.”
“He would seek to do everything possible to root out this evil and assist in bringing its perpetrators to justice,” it said. “The minister, however, is conscious that any inappropriate comment or action could have the unintended effect of prejudicing the investigation, or any subsequent legal proceedings.”