Irish child abuser a regular at Kochi orphanage for years

CHENNAI: A 77-year-old surgeon from Dublin, who was exposed last week by the Irish media as a child sex abuser for 35 years, has been visiting an orphanage in India where he had ‘sponsored’ at least two children, TOI has learnt. After the expose, over 200 of his former patients complained that Michael Shine, who retired from Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Ireland, had sexually abused them.

Sources told TOI that Shine has been frequenting SOS Children’s Village in Kochi for the last few years. He had sponsored two children at the orphanage and used to visit them. Child rights activists are shocked that a person of such character has been mingling with children, exposing them to the risk of sexual abuse.

SOS Children’s Villages Of India national director Rakesh Ginsi confirmed that Shine was a sponsor of a couple of children at the Kochi home, but ruled out the possibility of him sexually abusing their children. ‘‘Shine was one of our several sponsors. In that capacity, he was allowed to meet the children, but never alone. We have a robust child protection policy that allows sponsors to meet the children only in the presence of our representative. We didn’t know about his antecedents when we accepted his sponsorship. We have communicated that we are unable to revive his sponsorship,’’ says Ginsi.