Uproar As Child Abuse Brothers 'Released'

There's further controversy today as victims of sex abuse at the hands of a Fermanagh family are calling for a review of mental health legislation.

They said they want a different way of dealing with sex offenders who, they feel, have escaped justice - as they claim is the case with two brothers deemed mentally unfit to plead.

Between them, the McDermott brothers, from Moorlough Road, Donagh, faced 60 charges of abuse spanning five decades.

While one of the siblings was sent to prison last week, there is anger that his two brothers are back living in the community.

John McDermott was jailed for nine years last Friday for the abuse, which was described as frequent, regular and persistent.

One of the family - 62-year-old Peter Paul McDermott - hanged himself near his home at Donagh last month - after going on trial at Enniskillen Crown Court, accused of abusing two young boys. He was the eldest of the four brothers accused of sexually abusing children in the village.

The two other brothers, 61-year-old James McDermott and 52-year-old Owen Roe McDermott, appeared before Dungannon Crown Court last November accused of sexually abusing two girls and a boy.

They were deemed unfit to stand trial on account of their mental disability.

However, a jury found that they did abuse the children in the manner described in the 20 charges before the court.

They were released back into the community, but banned from going near children.

One of the victims has now said it was an outrage that they are allowed to live close to a play park, playschool and youth club.

The tight-knit, rural community is to hold a public meeting to discuss the situation.

One of the victims of the four brothers has said they may have abused up to 50 other boys and girls and even that a fifth - since deceased - brother was also involved.

The BBC has reported that one (unnamed) victim said: "I don't think the public is protected, I think we've unleashed a loophole here for paedophiles all over the country to go out and take advantage of this situation and it is going to happen...

"A paedophile is always a paedophile, that can never be put right, and these people are living in the community, in front of where children are playing, it is just I think, this legislation has got to be readdressed."

(BMcC)