"Take back your life; break the silence": survivor speaks as father is jailed for 18 years

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A man formerly of Foxford, County Mayo, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of his daughter throughout her childhood. John Murphy, aged 61, a former member of the Irish Defence Forces, pleaded guilty to rape, indecent assault and sexual assault of his eldest daughter between 1988 and 2001, with a further incident in 2010. The abuse occurred at locations in Counties Galway and Mayo when the complainant was aged between three and fifteen years. Mr Justice Michael White described the offending as characterised by "length, intensity and depravity" and noted the grave breach of trust involved. Murphy is currently serving an eight-year sentence imposed in February for sexual abuse of two younger sisters. The complainant, now aged 33, waived her right to anonymity and read a victim impact statement in court, urging others in similar situations to come forward and break silence surrounding abuse. The sentence was backdated to December 2017.

Source: Courts News Ireland This page is a localnews.ie summary and index entry; the full original report may require a publisher subscription.

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Public source leads

Former Defence Forces member jailed for 18 years for 'horrendous' sexual abuse of daughter - The Journal The Journal · Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT
'Break the silence, take back your life,' woman raped by father urges victims of abuse - Irish Independent Irish Independent · Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT
'There is not a day in my life I don’t remember you abusing me' - abuse survivor directly addresses her father in court as he is jailed for 18 years - Irish Independent Irish Independent · Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT
Mayo man jailed for raping his nine-year-old cousin 18 years ago - BreakingNews.ie BreakingNews.ie · Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT
'You are not to blame': Abused daughter calls on victims to stand tall as father jailed for 18 years - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT
‘You destroyed my life, for your own sick pleasure’ - The Mayo News The Mayo News · Tue, 24 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT

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