Publication date:
An 84-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for the non-recent sexual abuse of a boy caried out while he worked at a temporary children’s home in east Belfast.
The Judge at Belfast Crown Court sentenced George Hendry, a former house parent at Palmerston Assessment Centre, to 11 years imprisonment, half to be served on licence, for six counts of sexual abuse related to a boy in his care between 1980 and 1981.
PPS Senior Public Prosecutor Richard Maguire said: “Hendry used his position as a member of staff in a children’s home to abuse a boy who he should have been protecting. The victim, who was a vulnerable 15-year-old child at the time, suffered terrible abuse and has lived with the consequences ever since.”
Mr Maguire paid tribute to the bravery of the victim.
“This conviction was made possible by the victim coming forward and the courage shown by him throughout.
“The PPS takes cases involving sexual abuse extremely seriously. No matter when the abuse happened, we will consider every case that we receive from police. I hope this case demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting where we have the evidence to do so. I also hope anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse knows they can come forward and report it to police - no matter when it happened. You will be listened to and treated with respect at all times by police and prosecutors.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- All decisions by the PPS are taken strictly in accordance with the Test for Prosecution which involves two stages. The Test for Prosecution is met if, in relation to an identifiable suspect, the available evidence is sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of a conviction (the Evidential Test) and if prosecution is in the public interest (the Public Interest Test). The Evidential Test must be passed first before the Public Interest Test is considered. Further information can be found in the PPS Code for Prosecutors.
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