Altar boy : a story of life after abuse

A. Madden

Andrew Madden's love of the Catholic Church was poisoned when he was molested by his favourite priest, Ivan Payne. Three years of abuse ended when he was fifteen. The experience left him disillusioned with himself and with the Church, unable to sustain relationships, and an alcoholic. In the early '90s Andrew reached a financial settlement with Fr Payne and became the first Irish victim of clerical sexual abuse to go public with his story. Altar Boy is the story of how a despairing young man faced his abuser, challenged the Church and refused to be a victim any more.