Campaigner Fr Peter McVerry is recovering from injuries after an assault at his home.
In a statement from The Peter McVerry Trust, which was read out by Joe Duffy on RTÉ radio’s Liveline programme on Monday, the charity confirmed that Fr McVerry had been assaulted at his home last week. It was only the second time in 40 years that he had been assaulted.“In light of speculation and on foot of an enquiry we can confirm that Peter McVerry was involved in a minor incident at his home in recent days.“In the early hours of Wednesday morning Fr Peter opened his door to an individual knocking for help, it soon became clear that the person was affected by drugs and alcohol. In the brief interaction that followed Fr Peter McVerry sustained minor injuries leading to bruising on his face, particularly around one eye.
“After this brief engagement the person left, the gardaí were not called.”The CEO of the Trust, Pat Doyle, on learning of the incident, immediately went to Fr McVerry where he administered first aid.
“We are issuing the statement to offer clarity on Peter's wellbeing, he is recovering from his injuries which are thankfully only superficial and did not result in hospitalisation or attendance at A&E,” said Mr Doyle.The Trust continues to offer every support to Fr Peter who is back at work “helping vulnerable people impacted by homelessness and addiction,” continued the statement.“The person has since realised the impact of their actions and has presented and apologised to Peter. There will be no garda involvement. Peter considers the matter resolved.”The Trust appealed to the media and the public to respect Fr Peter’s privacy. Neither he, nor the charity will be making any further comment, according to the statement, which added that Fr McVerry "did not want the incident to distract from the issue of homelessness and people impacted”.
