Between 1998 and 2006, a boy we will call Suzgo—a resident of Mzuzu City—lived a dreadful life whose memories keep flashing through his mind.
On several occasions, he contemplated suicide.
Suzgo, who at that time was a street-connected child, was picked by Aidan Clohessy of St John of God for care and support.
Clohessy, a catholic brother, now 82, worked in Malawi between 1993 and 2012 before returning to Ireland, his home country.
- Advertisement -
“I thought it was a good gesture and kind of him because I was coming from a very poor family and finding myself there was a relief. Streets are never a good place to live in,” Suzgo, now a father of four, says.
- Advertisement -
For three months, he had been commuting to the institution until he was accommodated at Aiden’s specially built garage at his home in Mchengautuba in the Northern Region city.
Children, who were being supported by St John of God, were routinely drawn from the streets around the city.
According to Suzgo, they were being punished if they errored, but that did not matter to him until 2001 when, he claims, he bumped into “the worst”.
“Some children reported me to [Clohessy] that I had refused to do some work. After school, I went to his house where we were also being accommodated.
- Advertisement -
“He instructed me to take a shower. After I did that, I was invited to the courtyard where he had sex with me. I was bleeding; I was traumatised,” Suzgo recounts.
He claims that the acts continued almost every month.
“I was warned against revealing the ordeal to anyone. I remember escaping twice back to the streets, but he took me back. In 2006, I decided that enough was enough; thus, I left the place,” he says.
Suzgo was given approximately K60 million in compensation for the experience at the hands of Clohessy after a settlement in a court in Ireland, where the religious brother comes from.
He insists his life will never be the same apparently because his mental health was “heavily affected”.
Suzgo’s lawyer, Dave Coleman of Coleman Legal LLP, said in an interview that after receiving information from their clients, they identified a psychologist in Mzuzu who was willing to hear the stories of the victims such as Suzgo and later submitted a report to the court.
“Given the number of people alleging sexual abuse, it was important that the cases moved quickly.
“So, the hearing dates brought about settlement discussions with an independent mediator, which were done on Zoom and negotiations were made which brought the case to conclusion,” Coleman said.
He added that Clohessy faces up to 50 cases from people who have come forward and that many more are expected to do so.
Upon discovery of the abuse allegations in Malawi, Clohessy was brought to court alongside chairperson of St John of God William Forkan and a nominee of the institution by Coleman Legal LLP on behalf of the children who alleged they had been sexually abused by the Catholic brother.
No allegation has been made against Forkan.
While acknowledging that St John of God is one of reputable organisations in Malawi, Coleman said the cases his firm is pursing are not an act of witch-hunting.
We could not get a comment from Brother Clohessy, but he has previously denied any wrongdoing in various interviews.
Coleman said more cases are expected to be brought to court against Clohessy from Mzuzu in the coming months.
However, sources within the institution told us that since 2018, they have been running a programme on local radio stations inviting those who might have been abused by any officer at St John of God “but none turned up”.
Brother Clohessy was first accused of child abuse at St Augustine’s School in Blackrock, Ireland, where he was principal.
It is alleged that St John of God Order covered up the allegations, misled a statutory inquiry, secretly paid compensations to some victims and dispatched him to Malawi without informing the authorities of any potential risk to children.
In Malawi, the Coleman lawyers, among others, placed an advert in a local newspaper few months ago asking those people who were abused to come out and give experiences with the brother.
“If you are between the ages of 19 and 38 and have attended St John of God Centre in Mzuzu, you need to be aware of the following: if you received food, work or education from St John of God’s brother by the name of Brother Aidan, you may be able to claim financial compensation by joining a law case being taken in Ireland by many young men who say that they were badly treated by Brother Aidan over long periods of time,” the advert read.
Dozens of enquiries had reportedly been made by people who reportedly attended the centre.
That time, Coleman said: “The level of abuse perpetrated on these children is in some cases horrific. It is the worst type of abuse that can be placed against children and it is very sad to tell you that…
“These were vulnerable children who were taken from the streets and they had nobody to speak for them, their suffering is almost unmentionable.”
