Offending by 'prolific' paedophile spanned decades

"A prolific sexual offender" - this is how a Court of Appeal judgment described Michael Shine in 2021. But the name of the former surgeon has been making headlines long before then, ever since allegations about his conduct first became public in the mid 1990s.

His offending spans decades.

During two criminal trials in 2017 and 2019, the former surgeon was convicted of sexually abusing nine boys.

The victims involved in these trials were boys aged between 11 and 15, with the assaults occurring between 1971 and 1992.

He had access to these boys as patients through his work as a doctor and the offences took place at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and two private clinics in Drogheda.

He served three years in prison for those crimes.

However, there are more than 400 people who say they have been abused by Michael Shine.

The former surgeon has consistently denied allegations made against him.

Today, Michael Shine is 93 years old and lives in Dublin 4.

He studied medicine at UCD and worked in a number of hospitals between 1956 and 1963, before he started working at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

There, he was a senior registrar and later a consultant surgeon from 1968 until his retirement in 1995.

He also had a private clinic on Fair Street in Drogheda and an examination room at his home.

Today's scoping exercise report states that the earliest allegation against Michael Shine was said to have occurred in 1964.

The first known recorded complaint to gardaí about the doctor was made in 1994.

The following year, in 1995, nurse and whistleblower Bernadette Sullivan supported a victim to make a complaint to the North East Health Board.

Today's scoping report into Shine's activities carried out by Lorcan Staines SC said that it was Ms Sullivan's actions that set "in motion the chain of events which ultimately brought to light prolific sexual offending by Shine in the hospital and the extensive criminal and civil litigation flowing there from".

While this complaint was addressed, Michael Shine took two periods of leave in 1995 before retiring in October of that year.

Read more: Govt agrees to investigation into paedophile Michael Shine

Ms Sullivan went on to set up Dignity 4 Patients, a support group which has played an integral role in pushing for a statutory public inquiry into Michael Shine.

The group represents more than 400 people who allege sexual abuse at the hands of Shine.

Michael Shine has fought allegations and actions against him in criminal and civil courts over the years.

The first criminal proceedings began in 1996 at District Court level, initially in relation to 38 complaints of indecent assault, relating to 18 people.

He launched a judicial review to stop the prosecution. The action was dismissed by the High Court in 1999 and later on appeal in 2000.

The trial in 2003 saw him tried for 11 counts of indecent assault relating to six complainants before Dundalk Circuit Court. He was acquitted on all charges.

Shine also launched further appeals to his convictions and sentences in 2017 and 2019.

In 2020, he took further judicial review proceedings in relation to further charges against him in 2019. This was refused, however the Court of Appeal granted his application, citing a delay of two years in informing him of the charges against him.

Since this decision, no further prosecutions have been directed against him.

Shine was eventually struck off the medical register in 2008.

In 2009, a non-statutory review, referred to as the Drogheda Review, was commissioned by the then Minister for Health.

This looked at whether a further investigation into procedures and practices at the hospital during that period would be of significant public benefit.

However, that report recommended that a further investigation should not be held.

Today, as the Government agreed to set up a Commission of Investigation into the activities of Michael Shine, many victims and survivors feel they are one step closer in their search for the truth.

Helplines

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can find organisations to help on rte.ie/helplines.

Or you can contact the Dignity 4 Patients helpline on 086 165 4111 and 041 984 3730. It is available Monday to Thursday from 10am until 4am.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre can be called on 1800 778 888.