Former priests jailed for historic abuse

John Farrell and Paul Kelly, former members of the Christian Brotherhood, carried out the abuse from January 1979 until July 1983 while they were working at St Ninian’s School in Falkland, Fife.

The school was run by members of the religious order between 1952 and 1983 and catered for male pupils, of secondary school age, who were in need of care and protection.

Farrell and Kelly were convicted of preying on six boys, some of them only eleven at the time they were abused. Farrell was jailed for five years with Kelly receiving a ten year prison term.

Speaking after the sentencing, procurator fiscal for sexual offences in East of Scotland, Kenny Donnelly said: “These men have been convicted of serious sexual offences against vulnerable boys.

“Although these crimes took place decades ago, this case, and others like it, show that justice can be achieved after many years.

“We strongly encourage anyone who has been a victim of any such offences to report this to the police, even after a significant passage of time, and they can be confident that they will be treated with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity by the police and our expert prosecutors.”