11 years for father who repeatedly raped teen daughter

A man from Castlefin in County Donegal has been sentenced to eleven years imprisonment following his conviction for the repeated rape of his teenage daughter. The offences occurred between November 2010 and June 2011 at the family home. The accused pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the charges. During the proceedings, the court heard that the abuse took place approximately once weekly when the victim's mother was absent from the home. The victim, now aged 25, elected to waive her anonymity and delivered a victim impact statement to the court, describing the lasting harm caused and the failure of her family to protect her. Mr Justice Alex Owens described the accused as a violent and controlling man, characterising the attacks as coercive and depraved. The judge noted that a reported apology lacked genuineness and that the accused had been assessed as presenting moderate risk of re-offending. A post-release restriction preventing contact with children was imposed.