A former Armagh and Newry school teacher has been sentenced to a further 10 years in prison for historical child sex abuse.
Paul Dunleavy, with an address at Glen Road in Belfast, was found guilty of 36 charges of historical sexual abuse against former pupils in September.
Due to the number of victims and the scale of the offending over a long timeframe, he has been prosecuted in three separate trials. He has now been convicted of a total of 72 offences involving 18 victims in these trials.
The offences were committed on dates between 1964 and 1991 while the 89-year-old worked at four schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh.
Dunleavy was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, starting in May 2026 at the conclusion of his current sentence, after being found guilty of 36 non-recent sexual abuse offences relating to nine victims.
Dunleavy has been convicted for a total of 72 non-recent sexual abuse offences from 1964-1991 involving 18 victims who were aged between seven and 14 years old at the time.
Offences include; indecent assault, attempted buggery and gross indecency with or towards a child.
Head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Public Protection Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher said: “Dunleavy was a teaching Christian Brother of the Catholic Church. He taught in four different primary and secondary schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh from the 1960’s until he retired in 1997. He was also the Headmaster at three of these schools.
“He used his trusted position as a respected and influential member of the community to carry out his offending. He abused young boys in school, home and other public spaces. We now know that Dunleavy’s abuse has even involved multiple children within the same family, causing untold long-lasting psychological damage.
“Predators of this type are incredibly manipulative, and invest a lot of time building trust and embedding themselves within communities to carry out their offending while hidden in plain sight.
“Our thoughts today are with the victims that this man preyed on, and abused for so many years. Their evidence was devastating, and their testimonies too strong to deny.
“Working in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service, Dunleavy has now been convicted of a total of 72 non-recent sexual abuse offences involving 18 victims, however it is likely that this just a small percentage of the children Dunleavy has abused.
“It takes huge courage to speak out to break the cycle of abuse. We want to pay tribute to those who worked with our dedicated detectives, and remember those who, sadly, died before they could see justice be done.
“There is no doubt that Dunleavy’s victims were let down.
“I am sure that learning of the severity of his offending today will send shockwaves throughout the country. Since the media ban on reporting was lifted, a number of further victims have come forward, and we believe there may be many more who have not yet had the confidence to speak to us.
“Please don’t suffer in silence. We will listen to you and we will act. It doesn’t matter when the abuse happened, we will still investigate and work to bring abusers before the courts as we have done today.
“There is only one place for Dunleavy and that is behind bars. He will die in prison.
“We strongly encourage anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse, or has knowledge of abuse taking place to report this to Police on 101, or in an emergency on 999. We will listen, treat you with respect and act to keep you and others safe.”
Acting Head of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) Serious Crime Unit Catherine Kierans, who prosecuted the case, said:
“Dunleavy is a calculating predator who used his standing in the community to methodically groom and sexually abuse boys as young as 7. He is now an elderly man, but when he committed these offences, he was a dominant and intimidating figure who instilled fear in his victims. He exerted control in the most despicable ways over young boys with whose care he had been entrusted as a teacher and a school principal.
“Dunleavy has been convicted of offences involving 18 victims, but the actual number of his victims is likely to be much higher. We believe him to be one of the most prolific child sexual abusers convicted in this jurisdiction.
“He often targeted boys who were already vulnerable, including some whose fathers had died. He would pretend to take a genuine interest in and care for his victims but this was simply a manipulative tactic so he could exploit and abuse them. His outwardly respectable position in the community meant that it was even more difficult for victims to come forward at the time, with many fearing they would not be believed.
“These complex cases involved the victims’ accounts from their childhoods decades ago. We worked closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland who carried out a thorough investigation to build and present these compelling cases against Dunleavy. Despite the strength of the evidence against him, he denied his guilt until the very end, but juries in the three separate trials found him guilty.”
Ms Kierans paid tribute to the courage and dignity of Dunleavy’s victims.
“The impact of his cruel crimes on his victims is plain to see. Many have given accounts of how his abuse has affected their entire lives including some who struggled with education, work, mental health, addiction and relationships,” she said.
“It would not have been possible to hold Dunleavy to account without the courage of the victims. By denying his guilt, he put his victims through the painful experience of having to give evidence in court. We recognise how difficult and traumatic it was for all the victims to have to relive their ordeal as part of the criminal justice process.
“We want to assure victims that we in the PPS take cases involving sexual abuse extremely seriously. We will carefully and objectively consider every case that we receive from police. This case shows that offending that happened years or even decades before can and will be robustly prosecuted where we have the evidence to do so. If you have been a victim of sexual offences, please report it to police. We work with police to ensure that victims are always treated with empathy and sensitivity.”
A spokesperson for NSPCC Northern Ireland said: “Over almost three decades, Paul Dunleavy exploited the position of trust and authority he held as a teacher and school principal to sexually abuse his young pupils.
“Child sexual abuse can have a devastating effect on victims, which without the support they need can be far-reaching and long-lasting. It’s so important that those who have experienced child sexual abuse have the confidence that if they speak out they will be listened to and supported. And cases such as this, highlight that justice can be achieved, regardless of how long ago the offences took place.
“Adults who are concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk. Childline is always available for children and young people on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk”
