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The McDermott brothers were deemed mentally unfit to stand trial
The return to a County Fermanagh village of two brothers who abused children was due to clerical error, the Justice Department has admitted.
Residents in Donagh were outraged when James and Owen Roe McDermott returned to live in the village after they were deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.
On Thursday, a Justice Department official said the judge had included a residency requirement in his judgment.
However, this was not included in the brothers' special treatment order.
When the brothers returned to the village where they had abused children over 30 years, a legal loophole was blamed.
They went back to their family home, close to children's play areas and where their victims and their families live.
After a public outcry, the brothers voluntarily admitted themselves to a psychiatric hospital.
The MP for the Donagh area, Michelle Gildernew, said that people in the area would be "shocked" by news of the mistake and said that she would contacting the Department of Justice to ask for an explanation.
James and Owen Roe were given lifetime orders banning them from being with children, and a two-year treatment and supervision order placing them in the care of social services.
Another brother, John, was jailed for nine years in June for the abuse, which was described as frequent, regular and persistent.
A fourth brother, Peter Paul McDermott, took his own life during his trial on abuse charges involving two young boys.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The McDermott brothers were deemed mentally unfit to stand trial The return to a County Fermanagh village of two brothers who abused children was due to clerical error, the Justice Department has admitted.
Residents in Donagh were outraged when James and Owen Roe McDermott returned to live in the village after they were deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.
On Thursday, a Justice Department official said the judge had included a residency requirement in his judgment.
However, this was not included in the brothers' special treatment order.
When the brothers returned to the village where they had abused children over 30 years, a legal loophole was blamed.
They went back to their family home, close to children's play areas and where their victims and their families live.
After a public outcry, the brothers voluntarily admitted themselves to a psychiatric hospital.
The MP for the Donagh area, Michelle Gildernew, said that people in the area would be "shocked" by news of the mistake and said that she would contacting the Department of Justice to ask for an explanation.
James and Owen Roe were given lifetime orders banning them from being with children, and a two-year treatment and supervision order placing them in the care of social services.
Another brother, John, was jailed for nine years in June for the abuse, which was described as frequent, regular and persistent.
A fourth brother, Peter Paul McDermott, took his own life during his trial on abuse charges involving two young boys.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.