“He used that reputation as protection knowing that it made it harder for children to be believed if they spoke out”
A survivor of sick child predator Patrick Lavery says he “hid in plain sight” and was able to get away with his ten-year campaign of abuse due to his reputation in the community.
Patrick Lavery, 40, of Ballynamoney Road, Lurgan, received a five year sentence today at Craigavon Crown Court after being convicted of nine child sex offences against six children. He has been labelled a “manipulative and sick” individual by one of his victims.
Lavery was convicted in May following a two week trial after facing nine child sex offence charges that took place from 1999 to 2009, which included; gross indecency towards a child, both male and female victims, and counts of indecent assault against a child and sexual assault on a child.
READ MORE: Patrick Lavery described as “incredibly manipulative child predator” as judge jails himREAD MORE: Lurgan man convicted of nine sex offences against six children over course of 10 years
His youngest victim was just six years old when the abuse took place. Lavery was a teenager at the start of his offending and an adult in his 20s towards the end of it.
Speaking to Belfast Live, one of his six victims, going by the pseudonym Paul, said Patrick Lavery had “hidden in plain sight for years” and used his standing among the community to conceal his abuse.
He said: “This man Patrick hid in plain sight for years and I suppose that he got away with it for so long because to the outside world he was a god fearing man, someone who was seen as respectable and caring, even looking after the elderly, and that public image gave him cover because nobody wanted to believe that somebody of such status could also be abusive.
“He used that reputation as protection knowing that it made it harder for children to be believed if they spoke out. I believe that he is a very sick individual, who needs help for the problem that he has.
“But to the outside world he appeared as a normal person and he was also highly manipulative, how else would he get away with his crimes for so long.”
Paul continued: “Abuse like this is not that common outside of the home here. Often it happen within big families like this. This could be aunts, uncles, cousins or siblings, and that closeness makes it harder for children to escape from it or to be believed and one of the biggest barriers is silence.
“In Ireland there is a strong culture of protecting family honour and children who try to speak up are often told to stay quiet and not bring shame on the family. In big families it can feel like you are betraying everyone not just the abuser and that pressure and fear mean that many survivors may never report and the abuse remains hidden for years.”
Paul hopes that by speaking out about the abuse he experienced he can encourage other survivors to speak out and that “something good can come from something so horrific”.
He also praised the “brave young girl” who was the first person to come forward to police to highlight the abuse she suffered at the hands of Patrick, which gave others courage to speak out.
He said: “The abuse happened to me whenever I was 12 years old and it is something that carried around with me for a very long time and has had a huge impact on my life. When I had heard that other victims came forward and this had potentially happened to other people, I felt that I had to come forward and say what happened to me as well and make a statement.
“It wasn’t about just trying to get justice for myself, but other victims too. I wasn’t the first to come forward, it was a brave young girl who led the way for the rest of us and I will always acknowledge her courage in doing that.
“Part of the reason why I am wanting to speak out about what happened to me now is to show that it is possible to be believed and it is never too late to speak out.”
Paul said it was difficult going through the police process and the two-week trial, but praised the support he received from the police, PPS and victim support saying: “Going through the police process was incredibly difficult and brought up a lot of trauma and it wasn’t easy to keep going, but the officers that I dealt with, Chris, Victim Support and Witness Support at the court house, were all amazing, treated me with respect and believed me, which made all of the difference.
“It was painful at times but part of the recovery is recognition of what happened and if possible getting some sense of justice and I am quite fortunate because not everyone gets that outcome.
“It is about recognising myself as a survivor and not just a victim. If my experience or talking about my experience helps one other feel safe enough or less alone to reach out for support then something good can hopefully come out of something so painful.
“I feel a sense of justice that he has been convicted, but there is no winning here for anyone because what the sentence it will never take away what happened.
“I guess the only thing really is him being found guilty stands for us who had to endure the consequences and all of the lies that he told.”
Detective Inspector Chris Flemming said: “This man is a cold, calculating and incredibly manipulative child predator who has today been sent to prison for his crimes against innocent children.
“I want to thank the bravery of the victims in coming forward. It goes to show that the passage of time has no bearing on a criminal justice outcome. We have seen an increase in reports of non-recent child abuse over the last five years, with an average of 45 new referrals of this type each month across the province.
“Sentencings like today, I hope, will provide those who have suffered with the confidence to break the years of silence they have endured.
“Let this serve as another warning to those perpetrating child sexual abuse in our communities, we are working every day to break down reporting barriers and encourage victims to come forward. You will be caught, your lies uncovered and you will face the full force of the law.”
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