The Dalkey House of Horrors

JupiterKid

I don't believe the family involved in the Dalkey "house of horrors" were in any way rich or well to do - but it does seem that they had powerful connections locally which helped the cover up of the most vile crimes imaginable - rape of small children, infanticide, prolonged neglect, emotional abuse and prolonged sexual abuse.

Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s was a much, much poorer and less developed society than today. Dalkey had its pockets of deprivation and poverty - hard as it might be to imagine today.

What shocks me though is how the abuses and baby deaths went unpunished - surely the evidence that has emerged over the past 20 years has warranted action by the Gardai? Even though the parents at the centre of the abuses are dead - many of the other abusers are still alive and at large.

porsche959

There were quite a few articles about this case in the media in the 2005/2006 period. The disturbing questions are, as other posters already said, why it only came to light then and why even now no-one has been charged with anything. The father is now deceased but if there was indeed a ring in operation others possibly involved are still alive.

NegativeCreep

Is this the same case where the woman wrote a book about it, went on the Late Late Show, and then it was proved that she was lying? Or am i thinking of something else?

amdublin

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Is this the same case where the woman wrote a book about it, went on the Late Late Show, and then it was proved that she was lying? Or am i thinking of something else?

No. It is certainly not this lady.

And I cannot recall anyone the scenario you have described applies to.

porsche959

amdublin wrote: »

No. It is certainly not this lady.

And I cannot recall anyone the scenario you have described applies to.

With the Dalkey case IIRC some of the older children in the family denied that anything untoward had been going on. However journalists who have examined the case in detail are in little doubt that 'Niamh' was telling the truth.

NegativeCreep

amdublin wrote: »

No. It is certainly not this lady.

And I cannot recall anyone the scenario you have described applies to.

It's probably not this case then. Was there a book written about this though? I'd be interested in reading that.

JupiterKid

NegativeCreep wrote: »

It's probably not this case then. Was there a book written about this though? I'd be interested in reading that.

Yes, the book is titled Living With Evil and is written by one of the survivors of the abuse, Cynthia Owen.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7965408-living-with-evil


Here an youtube extract of her Late late show interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDNRLjYt5LE

horsemaster

Incredibly sad when I read that. There was so much suffering at the young age when they should be treated like angels. Nobody has to go through this. My heart goes out to the victims. We can't do much about the past but we can definitely do something about the present. This is the first time I have read this story and it just makes me feel how fortunate I am in my life. Its been a while but RIP. Lets make sure such things never happen in our midst.

SwanSky

Anyone who thinks that "the kids were rich" hasn't a clue about the family or what was going on in that house, so don't mind what you're being told there OP.

Tessa and her siblings were raised dirt poor in a council house literally two streets away from the main road that runs through Dalkey village. It's a tiny estate called Whites Villas.

And no, it was not a situation that the dogs in the street knew about. What neighbours knew was that the parents were alco's, the father was never out of the local pub, and the children were obviously neglected. That's a far cry from knowing that systematic incest is going on night and day.

SwanSky

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Is this the same case where the woman wrote a book about it, went on the Late Late Show, and then it was proved that she was lying? Or am i thinking of something else?

This is the case involving Cynthia Owen, and she most certainly was not lying, and nor obviously was ever proven to have been.

NegativeCreep

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Is this the same case where the woman wrote a book about it, went on the Late Late Show, and then it was proved that she was lying? Or am i thinking of something else?

I Think that was a book by a woman named "Kathy" re abuse in an orphanage, there was a book written in reaction to her claims callwd "Kathys real story" and she was challanged about these claims on Ireland AM which led to her striking someone live on air, this could be the case you mean

Witchie

dark crystal wrote: »

I certainly would.

Me too. So disturbing that those poor kids went through that and salt being rubbed into the wound of nothing being done about it.

Madam_X

As far as I know, Dalkey's affluence is a relatively new phenomenon.

I remember some of Cynthia's siblings being in denial of this horror - I've often heard of that. It might seem so callous and cruel, but actually... it's probably a psychological reaction to bury the trauma as a form of self protection... to the point of forgetting it/truly believing it never happened.

NegativeCreep

Deleted User wrote: »

I Think that was a book by a woman named "Kathy" re abuse in an orphanage, there was a book written in reaction to her claims callwd "Kathys real story" and she was challanged about these claims on Ireland AM which led to her striking someone live on air, this could be the case you mean

Yep, that's what I was thinking of. Thanks, Thought I was going crazy for a minute

JupiterKid

Those children were literally put through hell.

If hell really does exist, then the parents are burning there for eternity given what they did to their children and indeed grandchildren too.

It really does astound me that no-one has ever been convicted and prosecuted for these crimes - I wonder if it's because the alleged paedophile ring who Cynthia and her siblings were abused by may involve some very well known or important/influential people? Or is it just complete incompetence?

The whole thing stinks of a scandal of the highest order.:mad:

steddyeddy

Madam_X wrote: »

As far as I know, Dalkey's affluence is a relatively new phenomenon.

I remember some of Cynthia's siblings being in denial of this horror - I've often heard of that. It might seem so callous and cruel, but actually... it's probably a psychological reaction to bury the trauma as a form of self protection... to the point of forgetting it/truly believing it never happened.

That often happens. You'll always get one sibling who deals with it by pretending everything is ok.

JupiterKid

I wonder if this case will be re-opened by the authorities?

Certainly if any outstanding case of criminality is crying out for justice to be served, it's the Dalkey House of Horrors.

steddyeddy

JupiterKid wrote: »

I wonder if this case will be re-opened by the authorities?

Certainly if any outstanding case of criminality is crying out for justice to be served, it's the Dalkey House of Horrors.

I wonder if the gaurds that facilitated this are still working there?

JupiterKid

steddyeddy wrote: »

I wonder if the gaurds that facilitated this are still working there?

That sounds like a very serious allegation.

I wonder if the house in question has been demolished? I would like to think it has been - or if not, it deserves to be.

I think the Gardai excavated the garden about a decade ago for evidence of infant remains but found nothing.

Boombastic

This is a terrible story and cover up. I'm not sure where some people got the idea that no body (baby) was found?







From the Sunday World reporting on it:

This week, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy refused a request to have the investigation probed by the Cold Case Unit despite strong suggestions of a cover-up detailed today in the Sunday World.

We can reveal how a string of complaints have been made about a senior officer involved in the probe who is connected to the case despite the fact that authorities have been alerted that he was a one time friend of Peter Murphy Snr and socialises with a number of the men accused of ritual abuse of a child - seriously compromising his involvement in the investigation.

We can also reveal how official Garda reports in the case may have been forged, vital evidence has gone missing without trace and how officers took eight years to interview a key witness about the night of the murder and then failed to get him to sign his statement, rendering it useless.

From the OP's link

It is a known fact that some members of the gardai in Dalkey were friends of Peter Murphy, who had told them years previously that Theresa and Niamh were mad. They believed him and liked him. They drank with him in the Queen's bar and the town hall several times a week for years. These victims have not received justice.

This whole thing stinks of a cover up, but lets start doubting the victim

steddyeddy

JupiterKid wrote: »

That sounds like a very serious allegation.

I wonder if the house in question has been demolished? I would like to think it has been - or if not, it deserves to be.

I think the Gardai excavated the garden about a decade ago for evidence of infant remains but found nothing.

It's a fact. lack of investigation is facillitation. There seems to be a large degree of cover up at play too.

Wicklowandy

.

take everything

Just reading this story in the Sindo again today.
This is a national scandal that nobody was brought to account over this.
This should be front page news.
Stupid fcuking country.

Miprocin

JupiterKid wrote: »

I wonder if the house in question has been demolished? I would like to think it has been - or if not, it deserves to be.
.

The house is still standing and occupied.

SEPT 23 1989

the silence over this scandal is deafening

Karona

That story is truely awful and my heart goes out to them on what they had to suffer and go through at such a young age.

It sickens me that just because the father had friends who were in the gardai or he knew people that he and the rest of the family get away with it and most of the time these people are accused after they have died and nothing can be done, just look at the Jimmy Saville case.

These poor victims are not going to get justice now. :mad:

JupiterKid

I think the lack of a full and proper investigation into this case constitutes nothing short of a huge scandal.

Things are being covered up and people in high positions are protecting culpable individuals. This is a scandal of the highest order.

errlloyd

The parents are dead now. And investigation should still go into the cover up though.

JupiterKid

Some further developments in the Dalkey House of Horrors case - investigations have reopened and a recently deceased Irish language activist and prominent teacher is alleged to have been involved in a huge paedophile ring that abused hundreds of children.

These are shocking allegations -- the Gardai have a lot to answer for if this is true.

Link here:
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/House-of-Horrors-investigated---child-abuse-ring-in-Dublin-led-by-police-saw-50-years-of-sexual-abuse-205761101.html

‘House of Horrors’ investigated - child abuse ring in Dublin led by police saw 50-years of sexual abuse

Police could have used their influence to cover up evidence of their crimes
By IrishCentral Staff Writers,
Published Thursday, May 2, 2013

Investigations into the Dalkey “house of horrors” case have been reopened and will examine claims that a pedophile ring, led by Gardai, used their influence to hinder scrutiny of their activities.

In 1995, the Dalkey case was reopened when Cynthia Owens revealed that she was the mother of an unidentified baby found in an alleyway in Dun Laoghaire 40 years ago. Owens proceeded to tell the police how she was repeatedly raped by her father, Peter Murphy, and sold for sex to 12 men, three of whom were members of the Gardai. In 2005, all of these men were questioned but denied the allegations against them. Among the 12 men named by Cynthia, six are now dead.

Cynthia Owens, who survived the Dalkey “house of horrors”, was the victim of her parents abuse and bore her father’s child when she was only 11-years-old. She recently held a memorial service for the child who was stabbed to death by her mother with a knitting needle and was found in a bin bag in an alleyway in the town of Dun Laoghaire, the Irish Independent reports. The baby was posthumously named Noleen by her mother and would have been 40 years old at the time of her memorial service on April 4 2013.

The inquiry into Noleen’s murder was carried out by senior counsel Patrick Gageby following the inquest. During the inquest, Independent.ie reports that "most of the surrounding documents and exhibits, some time after that date, were lost or mislaid." The missing evidence included blood samples, the bin bag in which the baby was found, blood-stained sanitary towels, a newspaper found with the baby's body and the knitting needle which was used to kill the infant.

The Dalkey “house of horrors” investigation has been reopened alongside the case review regarding the pedophile Irish language activist, Domhnall O Lubhlai, who managed to evade imprisonment during almost 50 years of abusing boys.

The Irish TV host and founder of Colaiste na bhFiann died in March 2013 at the age of 84. His crimes were only revealed in the 1990s but O’Lubhlai maintained he was innocent until his death.

porsche959

JIM CUSACK – 31 May 2009

A well-organised paedophile ring involving civil servants, ex-clergy, members of political parties and even gardai infiltrated the child-care system in Ireland.

Paedophile ring 'abused children in State homes'
Members of gardai, clergy and civil service infiltrated childcare system

Now campaigners believe that there were links between the Dublin-based ring and members of a well-organised paedophile ring which infiltrated the child-care system in north Wales, and which was finally exposed and broken up in the mid-1990s.

While the Catholic Church has been vilified in the Ryan Report there are now calls for an inquiry into the role of non-clerical abusers in state-run institutions

The Government has been taking a more severe legal attitude to victims of abuse in State-run schools and other institutions than the Catholic Church has to victims of clerical abuse, they say. The Department of Education has "taken on" one such victim, Louise O'Keeffe, who was raped by the headmaster of her school in west Cork when she was eight years old in 1973. Although former primary school headmaster Leo Hickey was convicted of multiple rape and abuse of children, Ms O'Keeffe was left with a legal bill of €500,000 after the State successfully fought her claim for compensation.

Hundreds of victims of rape and abuse by non-clerical teachers or care workers in the State's employ have received letters from the Dept of Education threatening that their cases will be fought.

Ms O'Keeffe, the High Court heard, suffered "catastrophic injuries" at the hands of the paedophile rapist Hickey -- who nevertheless continues to be paid his State pension of €26,000 a year.

Among the figures identified but never exposed because of insufficient evidence is a retired senior civil servant who would have the power to suppress indictments and reports on sex offenders.

Another is a retired former senior garda in Dublin who had well-known links to senior clergy and who was accused of raping a 13-year-old boy. The garda was transferred from a city station after the allegation but was never questioned or charged.

And at least one senior care worker remained in public employ until the mid-1990s, despite repeated claims by boys that he was an abuser and brought paedophiles from Britain and Northern Ireland to care homes to abuse boys.

Many boys who passed through the state-run homes later became teenage prostitutes. Several have made allegations about a ring of apparently rich and well-connected paedophiles with access to the homes in the 1980s.

In an ironic twist, an Irish woman who has been raising the issue of abuse of children in State-run institutions in Dublin, Loretta Byrne, was effectively forced from her job in the Department of Education in 1988 after she persisted in seeking action about allegations of abuse of boys in care.

Among the boys who claimed to have been raped in the late 1980s was Brendan O'Donnell, who went on to murder Imelda Riney, her three-year-old son Liam, and Fr Joe Walsh in 1994.

One home where Loretta Byrne says there was strong evidence of abuse was Trudder House in Wicklow, which was opened and run directly by the State in the 1970s specifically for Traveller children.

One of the first directors of Trudder House in Newtownmountkennedy was Duncan McInnes from Scotland, who raped and abused dozens of children in the home. He fled the country after complaints were made in 1981. He later died in Canada.

Paedophile David Murray was forced to leave the Sisters of Charity in Kilkenny in the mid-1970s after a boy said Murray had raped him. Rather than report this to the gardai, the Sisters helped Murray find a new job at Scoil Ard Mhuire at Oberstown, Co Dublin, where he worked for several years. Murray is believed to have had links with Welsh paedophiles who travelled between here and north Wales and even found jobs for some in State care homes here. He was eventually convicted of buggery and gross indecency and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in 1997.

By the time he was arrested and questioned in the mid-1990s, Murray had raped and abused boys in a succession of homes here and, it is believed, Wales and possibly Northern Ireland. Details of all this were excluded from the report which concentrated almost exclusively on the abuses in Church-run institutions.

Ms Byrne said: "The Government has been aware of the abuse that went on in state institutions for a very long time. [Judge] Mary Laffoy resigned because the Department of Education would not give her papers. They must release these papers if the victims in these places are to get the kind of closure that the clerical abuse victims have had in the redress process."Now campaigners believe that there were links between the Dublin-based ring and members of a well-organised paedophile ring which infiltrated the child-care system in north Wales, and which was finally exposed and broken up in the mid-1990s.

While the Catholic Church has been vilified in the Ryan Report there are now calls for an inquiry into the role of non-clerical abusers in state-run institutions

The Government has been taking a more severe legal attitude to victims of abuse in State-run schools and other institutions than the Catholic Church has to victims of clerical abuse, they say. The Department of Education has "taken on" one such victim, Louise O'Keeffe, who was raped by the headmaster of her school in west Cork when she was eight years old in 1973. Although former primary school headmaster Leo Hickey was convicted of multiple rape and abuse of children, Ms O'Keeffe was left with a legal bill of €500,000 after the State successfully fought her claim for compensation.

Hundreds of victims of rape and abuse by non-clerical teachers or care workers in the State's employ have received letters from the Dept of Education threatening that their cases will be fought.

Ms O'Keeffe, the High Court heard, suffered "catastrophic injuries" at the hands of the paedophile rapist Hickey -- who nevertheless continues to be paid his State pension of €26,000 a year.

Among the figures identified but never exposed because of insufficient evidence is a retired senior civil servant who would have the power to suppress indictments and reports on sex offenders.

Another is a retired former senior garda in Dublin who had well-known links to senior clergy and who was accused of raping a 13-year-old boy. The garda was transferred from a city station after the allegation but was never questioned or charged.

And at least one senior care worker remained in public employ until the mid-1990s, despite repeated claims by boys that he was an abuser and brought paedophiles from Britain and Northern Ireland to care homes to abuse boys.

Many boys who passed through the state-run homes later became teenage prostitutes. Several have made allegations about a ring of apparently rich and well-connected paedophiles with access to the homes in the 1980s.

In an ironic twist, an Irish woman who has been raising the issue of abuse of children in State-run institutions in Dublin, Loretta Byrne, was effectively forced from her job in the Department of Education in 1988 after she persisted in seeking action about allegations of abuse of boys in care.

Among the boys who claimed to have been raped in the late 1980s was Brendan O'Donnell, who went on to murder Imelda Riney, her three-year-old son Liam, and Fr Joe Walsh in 1994.

One home where Loretta Byrne says there was strong evidence of abuse was Trudder House in Wicklow, which was opened and run directly by the State in the 1970s specifically for Traveller children.

One of the first directors of Trudder House in Newtownmountkennedy was Duncan McInnes from Scotland, who raped and abused dozens of children in the home. He fled the country after complaints were made in 1981. He later died in Canada.

Paedophile David Murray was forced to leave the Sisters of Charity in Kilkenny in the mid-1970s after a boy said Murray had raped him. Rather than report this to the gardai, the Sisters helped Murray find a new job at Scoil Ard Mhuire at Oberstown, Co Dublin, where he worked for several years. Murray is believed to have had links with Welsh paedophiles who travelled between here and north Wales and even found jobs for some in State care homes here. He was eventually convicted of buggery and gross indecency and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in 1997.

By the time he was arrested and questioned in the mid-1990s, Murray had raped and abused boys in a succession of homes here and, it is believed, Wales and possibly Northern Ireland. Details of all this were excluded from the report which concentrated almost exclusively on the abuses in Church-run institutions.

Ms Byrne said: "The Government has been aware of the abuse that went on in state institutions for a very long time. [Judge] Mary Laffoy resigned because the Department of Education would not give her papers. They must release these papers if the victims in these places are to get the kind of closure that the clerical abuse victims have had in the redress process."

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/paedophile-ring-abused-children-in-state-homes-26540184.html