Homeless campaigner Peter McVerry recovering after minor assault

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry is recovering following a minor assault at his home last week.

The Peter McVerry Trust issued a statement following speculation on social media about injuries sustained by the Jesuit campaigner.

In a statement, the charity confirmed that Fr McVerry had been assaulted at his home last week. It was the second time in 40 years that he had been assaulted.

“In light of speculation and on foot of an inquiry, we can confirm that Peter McVerry was involved in a minor incident at his home in recent days,” the charity said in a statement read out on RTÉ Radio’s Liveline programme on Monday.

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“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.”

It said the trust chief executive, 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 charity said it continues to offer every support to Fr McVerry, who is back at work “helping vulnerable people impacted by homelessness and addiction”.

“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 charity appealed to the media and the public to respect Fr McVerry’s privacy. Neither he, nor the charity will be making any further comment, the statement said, which added that Fr McVerry “did not want the incident to distract from the issue of homelessness and people impacted”.