Man (78) to be sentenced for regularly raping daughter

A 78-year-old man from County Mayo has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to five sample charges of rape committed against his daughter between 1973 and 1974. The man, whose identity is protected, admitted to the offences at the family home while the child's mother was at work. The now 54-year-old woman provided a victim impact statement describing the lasting harm caused by the abuse sustained from age nine to twelve. Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded the defendant in custody and adjourned sentencing to 18 June. The woman, who first reported the matter to gardaí in 2015, detailed how the abuse had affected her family relationships and trust. The defence counsel acknowledged the man's guilty plea, expressed remorse, and referenced significant health difficulties and social isolation. The prosecution indicated the abuse occurred regularly throughout a three-year period during the 1970s.