Barnardos Chief Executive Fergus Finlay has spoken publically about how he was sexually and physically abused as a child.
Mr Finlay said the sexual abuse took place in 1961 when he was 11 and the physical abuse took place two years later.
He was speaking in reaction to Cardinal Seán Brady’s comments about his response to a 1975 abuse inquiry.
Speaking this evening, Mr Finlay said he knew that it was abuse.
He said when he told his father about it, he knew it was abuse, and his father knew exactly what action needed to be taken.
Mr Finlay said that action was subsequently taken and, as far as he knew, it ensured no other child was abused by the same person again.
The former Labour party advisor said the abuse did not destroy his life.
He said he did not want to put himself in the category of some of the brave people that have had to live with the consequences of horrendous abuse for years.
Reacting to Cardinal Brady's comments, Mr Finlay said he did not accept that everything could be excused because it was the culture at the time and that culture had somehow changed.
He said he was making the point to establish that it is too easy to say that in those days we did not know what abuse was, because a lot of people did know what it was.
Mr Finlay said he saw no other option for Cardinal Brady other than resignation.
