Courts / Wexford / Report
Victim in court to see rapist weep and ask for conviction to be quashed
Summary
In the Court of Appeal on 17 December 2021, Caroline Kavanagh, aged 52, sat in the rear of the court to witness her former attacker, John Giltrap, 61, weeping as he pleaded for his conviction to be quashed. Giltrap had been found guilty on 20 of 22 counts of raping Kavanagh, aged between 10 and 15 at the time, between December 1978 and March 1982, and was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment on each count with the terms running concurrently. He appealed on the grounds that the jury's verdict was "perverse" and "contrary to the weight of evidence". Kavanagh, who had waived her right to anonymity, testified that the rapes occurred "nearly everyday and sometimes twice a day" in a house and later in a caravan that was moved to a public area known as "the Green". John Giltrap pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Victim in court to see rapist weep and ask for conviction to be quashed. Charges or matters: 22 counts of raping Caroline Kavanagh at various locations in Bunclody between December 1978 and March 1982. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- December 1978 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 1982 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2021-12-17 Publication
Why: Giltrap claimed that this wasn't possible because at the time of the offending he was "either at work or coming home from work", and that his mother-in-law's evidence supported his story. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: 22 counts of raping Caroline Kavanagh at various locations in Bunclody between December 1978 and March 1982 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- The house
Topics
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