More allegations made against paedophile Michael Shine in past ten days than any period in last 15 years
- Dignity 4Patients
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
By Saoirse McGarrigle - The Journal - 29.04.2025 - {Michael Shine] - [IRELAND]
MORE ALLEGATIONS HAVE been made against convicted paedophile surgeon Michael Shine in the past ten days than during any similar period in the last 15 years, according to a leading advocacy group.
Over 371 men have now come forward, alleging that Shine sexually abused them while he worked as a consultant surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and ran a private clinic in the Co Louth town.
The sharp increase in disclosures to the support and advocacy organisation Dignity4Patients comes after a recent meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin to discuss calls for a public inquiry.
The organisation, which supports survivors of sexual abuse in medical settings, told The Journal that it typically receives one new complaint related to Shine every two weeks.
However, in the past ten days alone, five new men have come forward with allegations.
Shine began working as a senior registrar in 1964, quickly rising to consultant in 1968. He remained at the hospital until 1995.
Victims allege that the Medical Missionaries of Mary were aware of the abuse and allowed it to continue for decades.
Hundreds of men claim that they were abused by the former surgeon, now in his nineties, over decades, but in 2025, he is a free man after serving just three years in prison.
In spite of the volume of victims coming forward, only nine of these men have had successful prosecutions in the criminal courts.
Dignity4Patients believes the meeting with the Taoiseach earlier this month has encouraged more victims to speak out, but cautioned that the true scale of the abuse may be far greater than currently known.
Shine, who has faced multiple legal proceedings over the past 20 years, was convicted in 2019 of indecently assaulting several patients under his care.
The pace of new disclosures has been described as “unprecedented” by Dignity4Patients CEO Adrienne Reilly.
Tomorrow afternoon a group of victims, accompanied by Ms Reilly and Diarmuid Brecknell of Phoenix Law, will meet with the Health Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill at the Department of Health to discuss their calls for a Commission of Investigation.
Ms Reilly believes that victims are beginning to gain confidence in the government’s approach to handling the case and as a result it is crucial that tomorrow’s meeting is productive.
Victim says he skipped necessary medical treatment because of fears over Michael Shine
She insisted that there is a legacy of State failures in the handling of the Shine case, which has compounded the victims’ trauma.
The Drogheda hospital was run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary. It is alleged that those in authority did not handle the allegations against Shine properly and failed to intervene and stop the abuse.
In 1997, the hospital was sold by the congregation to the Department of Health and a fund worth £1.4 million was set aside to indemnify the State against allegations of sexual abuse.
“From the minute the hospital was sold and they became aware of the abuse, they should have established a public inquiry,” Ms Reilly said, before adding: “Instead, victims have been on their knees for decades fighting for justice.”
She said that their battle for the truth has been both “degrading and protracted” and has only compounded their trauma.
The group stated that its “ask is clear”. They insist that “the Minister must consider this an issue of significant importance that requires a Commission of Investigation as permissible under the 2004 Act.”
Victims want the Minister to “consult with the Attorney General on the matter and bring a Memorandum to the Cabinet in this regard.” If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary:- The time for addressing this abuse & supporting victims was decades ago. Now the Minister of Health & the current Government have the opportunity to right the wrongs of past State Failures. Dignity4Patients & Victims look forward to a positive outcome at the meeting with the Minister tomorrow. #VictimVoices #TruthMatters #SexualAbuse
