Former Christian Brother and school principal convicted of child sex abuse dies

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

A former teacher and school principal convicted of historical child sex abuse has died.

Former Christian Brother Paul Dunleavy, 89, with an address in Glen Road, Belfast, was in prison serving sentences for several sexual offences against children in his care.

He has been convicted of a total of 72 offences involving 18 victims.

In September, he was found guilty of 36 charges of historical sexual abuse against nine boys and, in November, was sentenced to a further 10 years in prison at Belfast Crown Court.

The offences were committed between 1964 and 1991 while Dunleavy worked at four schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh.

The victims were aged between seven and 14 at the time.

The Department of Justice confirmed a 89-year-old prisoner died in hospital on Tuesday.

“The Northern Ireland Prison Service can confirm the death of an 89-year-old male prisoner from Maghaberry at an outside hospital,” it said in a statement.

“The prisoner died on August 26 2025. As with standard procedure, the PSNI, coroner and Prisoner Ombudsman have been informed.”