The abuse of children by Catholic orders: Part 2 – Maurice Tobin, the man who singled out kids from Limerick
Referred to as brother Dax in the Commission Report on clerical abuse in Ireland’s Industrial Schools, Maurice Tobin, a member of the Christian Brothers, was evil. To call him a cunt would be insulting to cunts.
He was the man who battered children with great zeal, taking particular pleasure for some unknown reason, in battering and abusing boys from Limerick who had the misfortune of being sent to the Letterfrack school in County Galway.
Due to its isolation, the brothers could get away with anything, and they did – for years. This was ideal hunting ground for a man like Tobin.
Tobin spent nearly two decades at Letterfrack. During that time, he instilled terror amongst the inmates, with his physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.
Giving evidence to the commission, he admitted attrocoties such as extreme violence sometimes drawing blood, sexual abuse, and threatening violence on the children in his care.
But, this story has a happy ending – of sorts. Maurice Tobin was one of the rare members of the Shameful 800 to be jailed for his crimes. In 2003, he was convicted of 25 counts of sexual abuse against children.