Courts / Dublin / Report
Couple jailed for systematic neglect and physical abuse of young girl
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 37‑year‑old woman and a 42‑year‑old man were sentenced to 21 and 18 months respectively for the systematic neglect and physical abuse of the woman's 16‑year‑old daughter. The court heard that the child suffered 46 injuries, including puncture marks, bruises, scratches and cuts, over a year. The mother pleaded guilty to nine counts of wilfully assaulting, ill‑treating or neglecting a child between September 2007 and August 2008, while the father pleaded guilty to two similar charges. The court noted the mother's addiction to heroin, the father's work commitments, and the child's reports of being tied to a bed, denied sleep, and beaten for minor infractions. The child was removed from the home in August 2008, placed in foster care, and has remained there for nine years. The judge described the abuse as "grotesquely wrong" and highlighted the father's failure to protect his daughter.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Couple jailed for systematic neglect and physical abuse of young girl. Charges or matters: nine sample charges of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating or neglecting a child on dates between September 2007 and August 2008; two similar charges over the same period. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 2007 Other
- August 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-05-01 Publication
Why: She said on one occasion the woman painfully cut her hair back to her scalp and because of this she is still extremely anxious about getting her hair cut. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: nine sample charges of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating or neglecting a child on dates between September 2007 and August 2008; two similar charges over the same period (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A Dublin couple have been jailed for a total of three years and three months for the systematic neglect and physical abuse of the man's young daughter over the course of a year. She was jailed for 21 months.; The case had been adjourned overnight for Judge Nolan to consider sentence.
Places mentioned
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