Victims talk of relief that paedophile Thomas McKenna will 'never be a part of community again'

Victims of a paedophile, jailed for 16 years after admitting to a catalogue of sexual abuse spanning almost 30 years, have thanked officials for ensuring that he "will never be a part of our community again".

Thomas McKenna, 62, with an address at Maghaberry Prison, pleaded guilty to 162 sexual abuse offences that took place between 1989 and 2018.

On Friday, McKenna was jailed for 16 years and will serve a further seven years on licence. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

The abuse took place at various locations across Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, against 23 male victims, aged between 12 and 26.

Following McKenna's sentencing, solicitor Cormac McDonnell read a statement on behalf of the victims.

They began by thanking Judge Patricia Smyth as well as their families, community and the public prosecution service.

“As a group, we sincerely thank our families, our community and the members of the Crossmaglen Rangers Club for the unwavering loyalty, support and care you have provided us," the statement read.“We want to thank the Police Service for the empathy and swiftness in which they dealt with the crimes committed against us from when they were first informed almost five years ago.

“In addition, we also wish to thank the Public Prosecution Service and the prosecution team for their professionalism and diligence in preparing the case for Court and ensuring we received the guilty pleas for the litany of crimes committed against us when we were children.

"And most importantly, to ensure this individual will never be a part of our community again.“While there were many difficult days as we relived the crimes committed against us, we as a group are immensely proud of the strength, dignity and unity we've displayed throughout this process to get the justice we deserve and ensure that the pain and suffering inflicted upon us will not be felt by another generation in our community.“We urge anyone else who has suffered similarly to take confidence from our journey and to reach out to the relevant authorities.

“To John, Bernie at Ulster GAA, and Jill, the investigating officer within the Police Service; thank you for hearing our voices.

"Thank you for the support, comfort and reassurance you have provided us throughout this process. Each one of you went above and beyond your call of duty.“We will be forever indebted to you for everything you have done for us, individually and collectively. We hope your families are very proud of you.“Finally, we request that our privacy and that of our community is respected.”

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