A former Principal of Moyasta National School has been jailed for sexually assaulting 11 primary school girls over a 21 year period.
80 year old Patrick Barry of Well Road, Kilkee has been given an 11 year jail term at Ennis Circuit Court today, after he was found guilty on 59 counts of indecent assault on dates between 1964 and 1985.
Patrick Barry denied all charges of sexually assaulting 11 of his former pupils at Moyasta National School who were aged between 9 and 13 when the abuse took place – He's never shown any remorse for the actions he was convicted of last July and today Judge Gerald Keyes imposed an 11 year sentence one year for each of the 11 victims.
He said a message must go out that the crime of sexual assault cannot be taken lightly but he suspended the final five years of the sentence because of Barry’s age and poor health.
His victims had previously told the court that Patrick Barry sexually assaulted them as they sat at their desks and when he called them to the top of the class.
One victim said Barry was “like a vicious wolf lying in wait to take complete advantage" of her innocence, terrorising and molesting her daily for years
Another stated that her own children subsequently attended the school but she could never explain to them the “degradation that impacted on their mother and aunties”, through “what went on in the senior room” , while another woman said Barry “took away her childhood innocence and trust in adults”, leaving her feeling “ashamed, dirty and guilty
Sending Patrick Barry to jail, Judge Keyes his criminal behaviour completely overshadowed their childhood with sadness, hurt, guilt and self doubt all for his own sexual gratification.
