The shocking experiences of Waterford women who were sexually assaulted by their psychiatrist whilst attending Belmont Park from the mid-1970s to the 1990s were revealed to the nation on Monday night.
RTE’s ‘Behind the Walls’ has lifted the lid on repeated allegations of sexual abuse at the Brothers of Charity-operated Belmont Park by psychiatrist Dr Denis Lane O’Kelly.
I am one of those women and i didn’t say that he was like a don, i said they would almost jeniflect’when he’d come to the ward and i was refering to staff.they were obviously caught up in his power. i am pleased you published this but not pleased to be not contacted before it went to print as first i knew of your doing so was by a friend phoning me.It’s a pity you that editOR forgot to print tht we still have a wall of silence from hse and brothers of charity 14yrs after given our first gardai statements, it’s a very bad country when all these years on nobody has to answer for this.Our case is an old one and should have come out then but we were told to be qiet about it until the criminal case was over which never took place as lane o’kelly kept getting it held back on medical grounds,the powers that be again it was shrouded in power. I ASKED TWO DOCTOR’S ONE OF WHOM QUITE OPENLY WISHED ME WELL WITH IT ALL AND TOLD ME HE KNEW ABD BELIEVED ME BUT WOULD NOT COME FORWARD BECAUSE ON OTHER DOCTORS OPINIONS TWAS BETTER NOT, THE OTHER SAID I DONT THINK ID LIKE TO GET INVOLVED YET HE WAS A PSYCIATRIST SO WHAT HOPE TO GENERAL PUBLIC HAVE WITH SUCH ESTABLISHMENTS THEY CAN DO AS THEY WISH WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.DOCTOR CONNOR O’NEILL IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS STOOD BY HIS OATH OF PATINTS CARE BECAUSE HE TRULY CARES ABOUT HIS PATIENTS AND WHY HE CHOSE MEDICAL PROFESSION WAS TO HELP THE SICK AND WOUNDED, THE REST WHOM COVER UP SUCH MATTERS ARE NO BETTER THAN MAFFIA.
similar things still go on today, no one cares.
I worked in the mental hospital system during the 70s and 80s. The fact is that lots of the people working there knew what was going on. I watched as a nurse set a patient on a young woman. I complained and was told that I should withdraw it or I would ‘lose out’. I carried on with the complaint but nothing happened. It was as though I had never said a word. Now that the hospitals are gone, there is some chance that people will tell the truth. I admire and respect the people who say what happened to them and others. Good human beings! The truth is important.
i was sent there to belmont as a patient of dr lane o kelly when i was 14 years old in the early 70s. what happened to me there has effected me my whole life. this is the first time i have spoken openly about it. i only knew of the investation when y sister who still lives in the area called me at home in wales . admittidly i broke down as the weight of what i had carried around with me for nearly 40 years came tumbling out . it brought ll those feelings rushing bk to me and i uddenly felt i was a lost hurt desolate 14 year old again . i truly hope the other poor souls who suffered under his care there can find some kind of peace .i know i never will