JOSEPH O’BRIEN: SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL IN MARKET WEIGHTON AND THIRSK

In a disturbing revelation that has cast a long shadow over the Roman Catholic Church, Joseph O’Brien, a man with a deeply troubling history of child abuse, managed to continue his religious career despite his past. O’Brien, who was once a senior staff member at the St William’s children’s home in Market Weighton, East Yorkshire, was dismissed from his position in 1965 due to allegations of sexually abusing boys. Despite this, he later became a priest serving in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, where he spent 15 years ministering to parishioners before retiring in 1998.

The case raises serious questions about the oversight and accountability within the church and law enforcement agencies. O’Brien’s history of abuse was documented in a formal witness statement in 2002, yet Humberside Police, which had been previously criticized by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for its investigation failures related to the St William’s case, did not pursue further action at that time. The police were aware of O’Brien’s past but did not interview or arrest him, allowing him to continue his clerical duties undisturbed.

Joseph O’Brien, who was known as Brother Ambrose O’Brien during his time with the De La Salle Brotherhood—a Catholic lay order responsible for running the children’s home—was dismissed from his role at St William’s in Market Weighton in 1965. He was formally removed from his position and escorted from the premises. The De La Salle Brotherhood confirmed that they did not specify the reasons for his dismissal in their official reference to the Middlesbrough Diocese, which was responsible for his later ordination.

In 1972, despite his previous dismissal, O’Brien sought to become a priest. He approached Bishop McClean, the then Bishop of Middlesbrough, requesting training to enter the priesthood. The diocese stated that they sought a reference from the De La Salle Brotherhood but were not informed of the reasons behind his earlier dismissal. The Brotherhood confirmed that their reference did not disclose the cause of his departure from St William’s, although they also noted that the diocese held recorded evidence of his sacking.

Following this, O’Brien was able to train at Ushaw College in Durham and was ordained as a priest in 1975. His subsequent career included serving at various churches in Middlesbrough before relocating to North Yorkshire. His most notable tenure was a 15-year period at All Saints in Thirsk, from which he retired in 1998.

When O’Brien passed away in January of the previous year at the age of 87, the diocese held a funeral Mass attended by Bishop Drainey and approximately 20 other priests. The diocese published details of the service, including the homily, on its official website. However, notably absent from the memorial was any mention of his prior dismissal from St William’s or the allegations of abuse associated with that period.

The Yorkshire Post has uncovered that Humberside Police, which has previously faced criticism for its handling of the investigation into the abuse at St William’s, was informed about O’Brien’s past. A witness statement from Noel Hartnett, a former Brother at the home who was investigated but cleared of wrongdoing, explicitly identified O’Brien as a perpetrator of abuse. Hartnett explained that he was present when the principal of St William’s dismissed O’Brien in 1965 and provided details to detectives about the case.

Furthermore, Hartnett revealed that during the early 1990s, a priest within the diocese approached him seeking information about O’Brien, allegedly because the priest had heard of more recent allegations of abuse. Hartnett stated that the priest was compiling a dossier to send to the bishop, although the priest, now retired and in his 80s, has since denied the existence of such a dossier. This series of events underscores the ongoing concerns about the church’s handling of abuse allegations and the apparent failure of authorities to act decisively despite being aware of O’Brien’s history.