Courts / Waterford / Report
Violent ex Christian Brother jailed for abusing 19 schoolboys
Summary
Liam Coughlan, 87, a former Christian Brother, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment for 19 counts of indecent assault on boys at a school in the south east of Ireland between 1974 and 1978. He had previously been convicted of 30 counts of indecent assault on five other boys at the same school and was serving a three‑year, two‑month sentence. The judge noted the abuse caused lasting fear, embarrassment and psychological harm, and that Coughlan's position of authority and religious affiliation intensified the victims' sense of powerlessness. He pleaded guilty in July after earlier trials were scheduled. The sentence will run concurrently with the sentence he is currently serving. Coughlan has serious health problems, including prostate and bone cancer, heart disease and arthritis, which were cited as mitigating factors. The court heard victim impact statements describing anxiety, trust issues, alcohol problems and, for some, PTSD and severe mental health effects.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Violent ex Christian Brother jailed for abusing 19 schoolboys. Charges or matters: 19 counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys when he was a teacher in a school in the south east of the country on dates between 1974 and 1978; the other indecent assaults earlier this year. "I would ask the court not to impose a lengthy sentence that my client will have no hope of ever being released from, due to his advanced years," defence counsel said. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- 1974 and 1978 Other
- 2023-10-16 Publication
Why: One man described how he could never tell his parents because they were "good Catholics". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: 19 counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys when he was a teacher in a school in the south east of the country on dates between 1974 and 1978; the other indecent assaults earlier this year. "I would ask the court not to impose a lengthy sentence that my client will have no hope of ever being released from, due to his advanced years," defence counsel said (Alleged Or Contested)
Outcome: Christian Brother who sexually abused 19 schoolboys almost 50 years ago, "instilling fear and embarrassment" in his victims, has been jailed for four and a half years.
Convicted Person
Charges: 19 counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys when he was a teacher in a school in the south east of the country on dates between 1974 and 1978; the other indecent assaults earlier this year. "I would ask the court not to impose a lengthy sentence that my client will have no hope of ever being released from, due to his advanced years," defence counsel said (Proven)
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Coughlan, of Pine Grove, Tramore, Co Waterford, is currently serving a sentence of three years and two months after he was found guilty by a jury of 30 counts of indecently assaulting a further five boys at the same school in the 1970s following a trial in May this year. The judge acknowledged that were it not for Coughlan's serious health issues, she would have reconsidered when the sentence date should start.
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