Ex-Christian Brothers' names published after court order

Over three hundred former Christian Brothers have been named in a national newspaper following a High Court order, as part of a lawsuit for damages related to child sexual assault and rape. The High Court served the summons to these individuals through a national newspaper advertisement. However, it is not alleged that the named men were involved in the crimes.

The purpose of publishing their names is to encourage them to come forward regarding a case involving Liam Coughlan, a former Christian Brother, who was jailed in 2023 for sexually abusing numerous boys at a CBS primary school in Kilkenny during the 1970s. Judge Mary Rose Gearty ordered the publication of the names after the Christian Brothers decided not to provide a nominee for the lawsuit, as an unincorporated body cannot be sued without a nominee.

Philip Treacy, representing the claimant, described the publication as a necessary step due to the lack of information on the whereabouts of some former members. Treacy criticized the Christian Brothers' handling of the situation, calling it shocking, appalling, unnecessary, and avoidable. He emphasized that there is no legal prohibition on members of an unincorporated body acting as nominees in such cases, and doing so would not prejudice their ability to defend the case.

Treacy also pointed out that the matter was consuming a significant amount of the court's time, which is taxpayers' money, and that it was an un-Christian action. RTÉ News has contacted the Christian Brothers for a response.