Finnegan Abuse Victim gets “Excess Hugging “damages.

We act on behalf of a 65 year old County Down man whose action for damages against The Diocese of Dromore has resolved today 7/11/22 in The High Court. The case related to allegations of historic abuse at St Colman’s College Newry in the 1970s against the deceased paedophile priest Malachy Finnegan.

 

The trial was due to run for 3 days but this morning counsel for the Plaintiff told Mr Justice McAlinden KC the action was settled on confidential terms. A central part of the abuse survivors’ claim was Finnegans’ unwanted persistent hugging which served to disorientate his victim. That in turn isolated him amongst his school peer group and led to a climate of constant bullying

 

Owen Winters of KRW LAW Historic Abuse Redress Dept said,

 

“This case is one of the first of its kind.

 

It adds to the growing narrative on the full extent of Finnegan’s predatory activities.

 

His bouts of violence and excess faux affection were all part of a perverse sophisticated grooming process. Excessive hugging was a recurring feature of that.

 

While the Defendants denied liability our client wants to thank the Diocese for taking a pragmatic approach to what was always a difficult case.