A convicted paedophile who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment two days ago has been released from prison.

Former school principal Michael Mulgrew, 64, was freed on Friday because he had been on remand for nine months.

A small group of protesters representing women's groups throughout the province gathered outside the entrance to Maghaberry Prison near Londonderry.

Mulgrew was convicted of sexually assaulting pupils at St Gall's primary school in west Belfast.

His victims included a brother and sister and another pupil at the school. He was convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency.

One of his victims is now 19 and has been suffering from anorexia nervosa for five years. She is currently being treated in hospital.

Earlier, her mother told the BBC: "I think it's a disgrace. The sentence he got proves that abusers are treated better than the victims.

"When I think about what my daughter has gone through and is still going through, it disgusts me to think that this man will be released from prison."

'Insult'

Padraigin Drinan, the solicitor representing two of the victims, said the family felt the sentence was an insult.

She said: "They said they believe that the sentence was a disgrace and that the law to them appears to protect the perpetrator rather than the victims.

"And they say also that they continue to blame the Catholic Church and St Gall's school for not properly protecting their children."

The former headmaster was arrested in England where he fled after serving a five year sentence for similar sexual offences committed between 1987 and 1990.

The court heard the authorities only recently became aware of the additional charges, after one of his victims revealed she had been abused by the defendant.

Passing sentence on the accused, Judge Norman Lockie said: "Your teaching career ended in ignominy and notoriety. You are also now ostracised by your family and those punishments are punishments which will remain with you for the rest of your life."

The former teacher has been placed on the RUC's sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.