Former pupils defend Br Dillon

TWO former pupils have provided testimonials challenging sexual abuse allegations made against a deceased missionary Clarecastle Christian Brother, in a controversial RTÉ documentary.
Former students of CBC Pretoria have provided a glowing account of the role played by Br Gerard Dillon in the school from 1979 to 1984, in sharp contract to the account of abuse given by Tyrone Selmon on the Mission To Prey programme focusing on Irish missionaries in South Africa.
Their account coincides with calls from members of the extended Dillon family for Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte to include claims made against Br Dillon as part of the existing Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) inquiry into the defamation of Fr Kevin Reynolds.
The same programme led to a massive libel settlement with Fr Reynolds, who was falsely accused of fathering a child with a woman in Kenya.
Br Dillon was accused of sexual abuse by former CBC Pretoria pupil, Tyrone Selmon in the programme broadcast last May.
Mr Selmon claimed the abuse occurred in the 1980s when he was a child and has repeatedly defended his version of events.
Fine Gael Senator, Michael Mullins, has stated the family, who have members in the Clare and Galway area, complained to RTÉ and are not happy with the tone and response they received.
“Given they [RTÉ] were so wrong in the Fr Reynolds case, I think they deserve due process,” he said.
RTÉ insists a number of other former pupils of Br Dillon, now living in other countries, have, independently of each other and voluntarily, made allegations of suffering abuse by Br Dillon in similar circumstances to those described in the programme.
“The accounts given by these now-adult ex-pupils have in turn been corroborated by others,” stated a RTÉ spokeswoman.
However, The Clare Champion has obtained two unsolicited letters from former pupils, one from Micro Motor Engineering director, Fabio Lorregian, who was at CBC Pretoria from 1979 until 1984 and still visited the school after military service.
“I came from a family of five brothers, all at CBC, all under Br Dillon’s care at some time or another. Never, ever did he so much as look at us any different to how a parent would look at his children, treat us any different and even touch a boy differently.
“My eldest brother captained a side in rugby and was very close to Br Dillon, who was his team coach and he was also appalled to hear the allegations.
“It is very sad that this comes out now, given that he has passed away and he can’t defend himself, which allows only one side of a story to be heard but it hasn’t altered my opinion on him and nor has any of my own brothers.
“He loved his vocation and his devotion to his pupils was impeccable,” the letter stated.
Paul Gabriel Pereira, Johannesburg, who attended CBC from 1980 to 1984, acted as a dormitory prefect to Br Dillon’s junior dormitory in 1983, by which time he was principal.
“I lived with 50 dormitory charges, aged between 10 and 12 years old. I worked closely with Br Dillon during this period when he was looking after the welfare of these children.
“At no point during my knowing Br Dillon, whether as teacher or dormitory master, was I ever aware of any unethical, immoral, illegal or in any other way untoward actions or behaviour on his part towards his charges.
“Given his strict and consistent insistence that these young boys have their dignity and self-esteem respected and enhanced, I should be extremely surprised to learn that his behaviour towards them was in any way abusive and would find that very difficult to accept,” he stated.
Br Dillon’s niece, Mary Glenny, has revealed she was “totally devastated” when she heard the allegations in the programme, as RTÉ had never contacted any family member prior to the broadcast.
“We sat down and watched the programme without any prior warning what was broadcast. I was totally devastated and have to deal with the anguish of this for the last six months. When did RTÉ become the judge and jury over a man who has no way defending himself?
“There has never been any allegation against Br Dillon to any authority, the seven schools he served, the Christian Brothers or the civil authorities in South Africa. That has all been checked out.
“The dramatisation included in the programme was extremely misleading, as it presented an allegation as fact. We are determined to vindicate his good name and reputation.
“Why couldn’t RTÉ have written to us and given us an opportunity to contribute? If they contacted the school or the Christian Brothers, they would have contacted us.
“No investigation or conviction of any kind was brought against Br Dillon. I would abhor any kind of sexual abuse by a cleric or lay person. If there was an abuse allegation, it should have been investigated.
“The complainant has stated it was his first time speaking about this allegation. How was this allowed to be aired without checking with the authorities?” she said.
John Dillon wrote to RTÉ on June 7 last. A copy of his letter is held by his solicitor. He did not receive a reply to his letter.

On August 22 last, Ms Glenny (née Dillon) wrote a strong letter of complaint to RTÉ, alleging the programme was entirely “unfair, one-sided and biased”. She received a reply dated September 6, 2011, which, she claimed, did not properly address any of the questions raised.
Her niece, Amanda Dillon wrote to RTÉ on October 18. She received a reply dated November 11, which she said did not address the questions raised.
In its statement, RTÉ pointed out it communicated its research on Br Dillon to the Christian Brothers in Ireland at the most senior level and no request was made by them to refer the questions to the Order in South Africa. Separate efforts to secure comment from within the Christian Brothers’ school system in South Africa were unsuccessful.
“Where substantive claims of child sexual abuse in childhood are concerned, the lack of formal allegations to relevant authorities is not unusual. In the course of its programme research, Prime Time Investigates interviewed a number of child sexual abuse experts in South Africa.
“They stated that victims of sexual abuse in South Africa are commonly reluctant to report these crimes. Dr Marcel Londt, a psychotherapist based in Cape Town told the programme team that for every one victim of sexual abuse, who is willing to report, there are three others who are not.
“The Catholic Archbishop of Johannesburg, Buti Thagale, made it clear in an interview that he believes there is a significant problem with under-reporting and that a taboo still exists in South Africa around this issue.
Colonel Jan Swart, formerly head of the Sexual Crimes Unit with Cape Town Police also referred in a research interview to a huge reluctance on the part of the victims of child sexual abuse, in particular, to make a formal complaint.
“It is not unusual for victims of abuse to decide against making a formal complaint to the authorities because of trauma involved in doing so. Professionals dealing with victims of sexual abuse are clear that it is very common for allegations of abuse committed during childhood not to resurface until many years later.
Also, Prime Time Investigates discussed all of the allegations made in the programme with the gardaí, specifically with a member of the Sexual Crime Management Unit at the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Harcourt Street, in Dublin.
“Part of the reason Br Edmond Garvey, spokesman for the Christian Brothers in Ireland, was contacted before the broadcast was to enable him to inform Br Dillon’s relatives of the allegations against him.
“RTÉ understands that Mr Selmon has followed Irish coverage of the programme and of his claims and has maintained his position in respect of his allegations,” said an RTÉ spokeswoman.