The nun who was in charge of managing the St Dominic’s Children’s Home in Belmont when claims of abuse were made some 20 years ago, now has dementia and is unable to help police officers investigating the matter, Guardian Media has learned.
Officers currently investigating claims of abuse met with the then-manager of the St Dominic’s Children’s Home Sr Marina Serrette recently, but her dementia has proven to be an obstacle.
The investigators have, however, secured a statement from the St Martin’s RC primary school teacher who received the initial report of abuse by the main witness in the matter.
The police have been liaising with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the investigations, and have been given advice on how to continue with the probe.
The DPP’s office gave the officers follow-up questions to ask the six former wards who have since come forward to testify.
The police reached out to others but they have declined to be interviewed, indicating that they have moved on with their lives and have families who they do not want to find out what they went through at the home.
Mysteriously, the file on the main witness who was at the home when the abuse took place cannot be located.
The witness was the one who blew the lid on the abuse at the home.
Following his statement, the perpetrator resigned immediately after admitting he had abused others.
According to the records at the home, it is as though the main witness was never there.
However, this has not stalled the investigations, as the police have been able to confirm his presence at the home otherwise.
Last month, police officers went to St Dominic’s Children’s Home as their investigations into the 1997 Robert Sabga Report into abuse at children’s homes across the country.
Acting Senior Supt Claire Guy-Alleyne is heading the investigation into the contents of the Sabga report and the recent Justice Judith Jones Report.
