Former Irish school principal Con Desmond convicted of indecent assault

The former principal of De La Salle National School, Con Desmond, has been found guilty of sexually abusing a primary school child between the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Irish Examiner reported. A jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after hearing details of the case. [1]

According to the Irish Examiner, Desmond, who lives in Ennis, County Clare, was convicted on nine counts of indecent assault. The former priest, now aged 90, contested all the charges against him during the trial. [1]

The Irish Examiner reported that Desmond abused the victim inside the school grounds over a period of more than two years before the victim fought back. The victim described the terrifying atmosphere created at the school as a game of cat and mouse. [1]

The De La Salle Brothers, officially known as the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, is a Catholic lay religious congregation founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle and based in Rome. [2]