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Court hears alleged victim of retired surgeon considered withdrawing accusation

A man who claims he was groped by a now retired surgeon has admitted he considered withdrawing hi...
Newstalk
Newstalk

14.56 18 Oct 2017


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Court hears alleged victim of...

Court hears alleged victim of retired surgeon considered withdrawing accusation

Newstalk
Newstalk

14.56 18 Oct 2017


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A man who claims he was groped by a now retired surgeon has admitted he considered withdrawing his complaint - but denies there was no basis to it.

Dr Michael Shine of Wellington Road in Dublin 4 is accused of indecently assaulting six boys while he was working at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

His trial has been hearing from one of his alleged victims, who is now 65.

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The abuse is alleged to have happened on various dates between 1964 and 1991 while Dr Michael Shine was a general surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and at his private clinic on nearby Fair Street.

The first of the six complainants gave his direct evidence yesterday. He said he was 13 when he went to the hospital to have a cyst on his chest checked out.

He told the jury his mother was with him but left the cubicle just before Dr Shine began his examination.

While he was examining the cyst, he said Dr Shine moved his hand down towards his genital area and left it there for up to a minute and a half while he rubbed his tummy with his other hand. He said he twice told him “it all works together.”

During his cross-examination today, he said he was treated again by Dr Shine in 1987 but he said “absolutely nothing happened” during that visit.

He said he later contacted a campaign group after hearing ads on local radio asking people who had ever been treated by Dr Shine to come forward.

He said he attended a number of advocacy meetings but did not make a complaint until February 2014. He said he couldn’t remember if he had been advised on how best to present his case.

He accepted he had considered withdrawing his statement at one stage but denied it was because there was no basis to it.

Hugh Hartnett, who is defending Dr Shine, then suggested nothing untoward happened to him at all, to which the man replied: “that’s wrong.”

Five other complainants are due to give evidence in this trial.

Dr Shine, who is now 85, is facing eight charges of indecent assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to each of them.


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