Former pupil awarded £50k over 'degrading' rugby trip
BBCA former pupil of Methodist College Belfast was left "traumatised" after "degrading" videos were recorded of him on a school rugby trip.
Gabriel McConkey, now 19, has been awarded more than £50,000 in a civil case after the school admitted liability in relation to negligence and failure to supervise.
He was in lower sixth and on a trip to Portugal when it is alleged that older pupils forced him and others to run naked around the resort they were staying in.
BBC News NI has contacted the school for comment.
'Coerced into head shaving'
It is his case that they then used the video to coerce him into having his head shaved.
It is also his case that he was also forced to witness other boys as they were coerced into performing an act on a sex toy.
His mother, Sian Mawhinney, told BBC News NI that her son was "absolutely broken" when he returned from the trip in December 2022.
"Gabriel came back from this trip a totally different child than the one that we sent away and I think no mother expects these events to take place on a school trip," she said.
"They expect their children to be looked after and to be supervised and obviously something went terribly wrong," she added.
"He was traumatised by it."
The family was at the High Court in Belfast on Wednesday.
Speaking after the settlement was reached, Ms Mawhinney said: "The child that we sent on a school trip was not the child who returned home to us."
It is understood the training trip was organised in preparation for the Schools' Cup campaign.
Ms Mawhinney said as a result of the incident, Gabriel left school rugby because it had become "a hostile environment".
'Start to heal'
"I'm incredibly proud of Gabe," Ms Mawhinney said.
"He is an amazing person because he has a really strong sense of justice."
She said one of the things Gabriel "was most upset about" was that there were other boys who he couldn't help and "that sense of helplessness has really impacted him".
"Today brings closure after a horrendous two-year ordeal. We are delighted obviously with the outcome and we now hope that Gabe can start to heal and get on with his life."
The family's solicitor, Victoria Haddock, said: "This settlement is a welcome vindication for our client who should never had had to take legal action following a rugby school trip."
In a statement Ulster Rugby, which runs the Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Cup, said it acknowledges the settlement made.
"What is reported does not align with the values of rugby, or the behaviours we expect from those involved in the game," it added.
"This is an issue for Methodist College Belfast, but we will be engaging with the school to ensure we promote rugby as an inclusive and enjoyable game for all."