Former Teacher Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Indecent Assault
A former teacher at a private primary school in South Dublin has been jailed for a decade for sexually abusing eight young boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Peter Kelly, aged 73, was a math teacher at Willow Park School in Blackrock for nearly three decades. He was found guilty by a jury earlier this year on 28 counts of indecent assault.
One victim testified that Kelly was a key component in a system of systematic abuse at Willow Park and Blackrock College, two prestigious schools.
Kelly started teaching at Willow Park Primary in 1977 and resigned in 2004 after an investigation prompted by a complaint filed in 2001. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) initially decided not to prosecute him.
However, earlier this year, he faced trial at the Circuit Criminal Court, charged with 28 counts of indecent assault against eight boys. The victims were aged ten to 13 during the assaults, which occurred in classrooms and changing rooms.
Kelly denied the charges but was convicted by the jury last month. The court learned that he contests the jury's verdict.
Judge Elma Sheahan expressed hope that the sentencing would provide some closure for the victims.
