A VICTIM of sadistic, paedophile priest, Fr. Sean Fortune, has published a book about his experiences at the hands of the disgraced late cleric.

Patrick Bennett, from New Ross, admitted that he made “10 or 12” attempts to write ‘Taking Back My Soul’ before he finally found the courage and strength to complete it.

“Every time I tried to write it each story would bring back another memory and I just gave up on it,” he told the New Ross Echo.

“I always to a point where I could go no further with it,” he added.

“One memory would bring up something else and then I’d end up in a bad way.”

He describes each story in the book as being like snapshots in time and ‘samples’ of moments in his life.

Admitting that he wanted to get his story out there for people to be aware of he said his main aim is to ensure that what happened to him and other victims of clerical abuse is never forgotten.

Remarkably, almost 80 per cent of the book was written in around a day-and-a-half.

“In the past I’d end up getting to a point where I couldn’t think about it [what happened] any further,” explained Mr. Bennett.

“I’d end up in a bad place mentally.”

When asked what the difference was this time around, that enabled him to complete the book, he said: “Three years in St. Senan’s got me to a place that I could get to the end of it. I had to get to the end of it.”

Mr. Bennett is hoping that by finishing the book and getting its message out to the public he will find some closure on events that had a profound effect on his life.

“I hope it will bring closure and I hope at the end of it people will believe and not forget,” he said.

“I hope then I will be able to get on with the rest of my life.” [The full indepth interview with Mr. Bennett is in this week’s hard copy of The Echo]