A man who says he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in west Belfast more than 50 years ago has received a “significant six-figure sum” in damages from the Diocese of Down and Connor.
The settlement, reached at Belfast High Court, relates to abuse claims against the late Father Thomas Cunningham, who served at St Agnes’ Parish in the early 1970s.
Cunningham was later moved to a treatment facility for priests in England and resigned from ministry before his death in 1978, as reported by News Letter.
Solicitor Gary Duffy from KRW Law, a human rights and criminal law firm based in Belfast, said: “The case has been settled for a significant six-figure sum,” calling it “complete vindication” for the now 60-year-old plaintiff.
He this his "client has shown remarkable resilience and bravery in coming forward to confront the trauma he endured".
Mr Duffy also urged Northern Ireland’s inquiry into historical clerical abuse to include an investigation into the Stroud facility, where several accused priests were reportedly sent.