Courts / Wexford / Report
73-year-old jailed for life for raping 9-year-old who helped him recover from stroke
Summary
A 73‑year‑old Wexford man was sentenced to an indeterminate life term for raping his nine‑year‑old step‑granddaughter, who had helped him recover from a stroke. The victim was the fifth of the accused's victims. He already serves a 13‑year sentence for abusing his two daughters in the 1970s and 1980s and a separate term for abusing his two sons. In court the judge described how the man "groomed" the girl by showing her pornographic playing cards and giving her money before molesting and orally raping her between 2006 and 2008. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual assault and oral rape. The judge noted the victim's fear of disbelief and her eventual placement in foster care, and he accepted the man's claim of being abused as a child. The life sentence will run alongside his existing 13‑year term. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 73-year-old jailed for life for raping 9-year-old who helped him recover from stroke. Charges or matters: ten counts of sexual assault and oral rape on the girl in his Wexford home between 2006 and 2008 when she was between nine and twelve years old. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 2006 and 2008 Incident
- 2016-12-12 Publication
Why: " The judge noted that one of the "striking features" of the girl's victim impact report was that she was afraid to tell her family about the abuse because she was terrified they wouldn't believe her. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: ten counts of sexual assault and oral rape on the girl in his Wexford home between 2006 and 2008 when she was between nine and twelve years old (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A 73-year-old Wexford man has been jailed for life for raping his nine-year-old step-granddaughter after she helped him recover from a stroke. Mr Justice McCarthy imposed an indeterminate life sentence which will run alongside the accused's current 13-year prison term.
Places mentioned
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