Girl knocked down by church confession box door settles case for €25,000
A girl who was knocked down and hit her head when the door of a church confession box fell on her during Mass has settled a High Court action for €25,000.
Zofia Adamczyk was only a 2-year-old toddler when the door, which was allegedly unhinged, fell on her and trapped her underneath.
Advertisement
The girl's counsel, Robert Beatty SC with Mark Doyle BL, told the High Court that she had been attending Mass with her mother when the accident happened at Oblates Church, Inchicore, Dublin, 14 years ago.
Mr Beatty said the door to the confession box weighed about 15kg and it was a 'traumatising incident' for the child.
Some men had to lift the door off the child, who had also struck her head on the stump of a decorative Christmas tree. A section of the church was under renovation at the time.
Zofia Adamczyk, now aged 16, of Saggart, Co Dublin, had through her father, Andrzej Adamczyk, sued Fr Oliver Barry over the accident on March 4th, 2011.
Advertisement
It was claimed that the door to the confessional fell on top of the toddler after she allegedly tried to open it.
It was claimed there was an alleged failure to take any or any adequate precaution for the child's safety and there was an alleged failure to take any reasonable care to ensure she would be reasonably safe whilst in the church.
World
More black smoke from Sistine Chapel signals wait...
Read More
It was further contended that there was an alleged failure to ensure that adequate warnings or signs were in place around the confessional while it was under renovation.
Counsel told the court he did not think liability was an issue, but causation was at issue in the case.
The little girl was later diagnosed as suffering from head pain and she had bumps to her head. She also had some restriction in side-to-side movement as well as bruising and tenderness. She later had panic attacks and claustrophobia, which it was claimed had a severe impact on her daily life.
Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said he was satisfied considering the difficulties in relation to causation in the case that the offer was fair and reasonable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
3 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (20s) arrested after drugs worth €119,000 and €9,500 cash seized in West Dublin
Drugs worth €119,000 were seized and a man was arrested in West Dublin on Friday. Gardaí from the Dublin Crime Response Team carried out a search in Finglas as part of an ongoing operation targeting the sale and supply of controlled drugs, which led to the discovery. Advertisement During the course of the search, in the Finglas area, gardaí seized cannabis herb valued at €114,940, cocaine with an estimated value of €3,010 and ketamine valued at €1,500. €9,500 in cash, believed to be the proceeds of crime, along with drugs paraphernalia, were also seized. A man in his 20s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at a garda station in Dublin. The seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for examination and analysis and investigations are ongoing, a garda statement said.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
BBC will not appeal against Adams' defamation case victory
The BBC will not appeal over Gerry Adams' defamation victory against the organisation. Mr Adams, a former president of Sinn Fein, said there needed to be 'substantial reform' of the broadcaster. Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, in which he denies any involvement. Last month, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs. After the decision, the broadcaster's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award as it took time to consider an appeal. However, on Friday, the BBC confirmed it would not pursue an appeal. A spokesperson said: 'We have given careful consideration to the jury's decision. 'We will not be appealing its verdict, bringing this matter to a conclusion. 'We remain committed to public interest journalism and to serving all BBC audiences.' In a statement issued through the Sinn Fein press office on Friday, Mr Adams said: 'The decision not to appeal by the British Broadcasting Corporation has to be followed by a substantial reform of its internal journalistic processes and a recognition that it cannot continue to be a voice for the British state in Ireland. 'It must also become more accountable to the public. 'The Dublin Court found the BBC guilty of libel and rejected its claim that its journalism was fair and reasonable and in the public interest. 'The British Broadcasting Corporation is a public service provider. There is an onus on the BBC to ensure that in the future its ethics and journalism reflect the principles and values of a public broadcast service. 'As I have already said the damages will be donated to good causes.'
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Kneecap's legal team for court battle to include Julian Assange lawyer
Irish rap trio Kneecap have named the legal team which will defend band member Liam O hAnnaidh against a terror charge. Rapper O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, will be represented by a team that includes Gareth Peirce, solicitor for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his fight against US extradition, and Rosalind Comyn, who has represented Extinction Rebellion protesters in court. The 27-year-old was charged by postal requisition over the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year. His legal team also includes Darragh Mackin from Phoenix Law, Brenda Campbell KC, Jude Bunting KC and Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC. Mr Mackin was the solicitor for Sarah Ewart, whose successful legal challenge helped to usher in the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland, while Ms Campbell was the defence barrister in the collapsed case against Seamus Daly, who was accused of murdering people in the IRA bomb attack of 1998 in Omagh. Mr Bunting acted for non-profit company Liberty in the Stansted 15's successful conviction appeal after they broke into Stansted Airport to stop a plane deporting people to Africa, which was a case Ms Ni Ghralaigh also worked on. In an Instagram post the group said: 'The British establishment is conducting a campaign against Kneecap which is to be fought in Westminster Magistrates Court… We are ready for this fight. We are proud to have such a strong legal team with us.' Mr Mackin told the PA news agency: 'It is difficult to comprehend a case of greater international importance in recent years. 'Kneecap has played an unrivalled role in standing up for those without a voice in Gaza. They speak truth to power when others shy away. 'It is a great privilege to be instructed alongside my colleagues to defend the important principle of freedom of expression, in the pending battle before the London Court.' In May, the Metropolitan Police said Kneecap were being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'. They apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. They also said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK. In 2024, the band released an eponymous film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender which is a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and follows the Belfast group on their mission to save their mother tongue through music. Formed in 2017, the group, made up of O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. O hAnnaidh is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18. His lawyers have been approached for comment.
