MICHAEL MULGREW'S SHOCKING RELEASE FROM BELFAST PRISON SPARKS OUTRAGE AND PROTESTS
In February 2000, a wave of anger and outrage swept through Belfast as news broke that Michael Mulgrew, a convicted paedophile, had been released from prison after serving only a fraction of his sentence.Mulgrew, aged 64, who was previously sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, was released on a Friday after spending nine months on remand.
His release took place from Maghaberry Prison, located near Londonderry, where a small but vocal group of protesters gathered outside the prison gates.
These demonstrators, representing women's groups from across the province, expressed their fury and disappointment over what they perceived as a miscarriage of justice.
The former school principal's criminal record includes convictions for sexually assaulting pupils at St Gall's primary school in west Belfast.
His victims included a brother and sister, as well as another pupil at the same school.
Mulgrew was convicted of charges including indecent assault and gross indecency, crimes that have left deep scars on those affected.
One of his victims, now 19 years old in 2000, has been battling anorexia nervosa for five years and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.
Her mother expressed her outrage to the BBC, stating, "I think it’s a disgrace.
The sentence he got proves that abusers are treated better than the victims.
When I think about what my daughter has gone through and is still going through, it disgusts me to think that this man will be released from prison." Padraigin Drinan, the solicitor representing two of the victims, voiced her clients' feelings of betrayal, describing the sentence as an insult.
She commented, "They believe that the sentence was a disgrace and that the law seems to protect the perpetrator rather than the victims.
They also continue to blame the Catholic Church and St Gall’s school for failing to adequately safeguard their children." It was revealed that Mulgrew had previously been arrested in England, where he fled after serving a five-year sentence for similar offences committed between 1987 and 1990.
The authorities only recently uncovered additional charges after one of his victims disclosed ongoing abuse.
During the sentencing, Judge Norman Lockie remarked, "Your teaching career ended in ignominy and notoriety.
You are also now ostracised by your family, and these punishments will stay with you for the rest of your life." As part of his sentence, Mulgrew has been placed on the RUC’s sex offenders’ register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions.
The release has ignited widespread condemnation, with many feeling that justice has not been fully served and that the community remains at risk from individuals like Mulgrew.
