Courts / Dublin / Report
"Shrew" reporter has abuse conviction upheld
Summary
Joseph Anderson, 71, who worked for the 1990s anti‑drugs newsletter "The Shrew", had his 2016 conviction for 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape of a boy aged 12‑15 between August 1992 and May 1995 upheld by the Court of Appeal on 26 October 2018. Anderson, who had no prior convictions, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Butler. He appealed the conviction and the sentence, arguing that the victim's repeated return to his house contradicted the abuse claim. The Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, dismissed both appeals, stating the trial was satisfactory and the conviction safe. The court also rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions' request for a review of the sentence on grounds of undue leniency. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Shrew" reporter has abuse conviction upheld. Charges or matters: 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape between August 1992 and May 1995 when the boy was aged between 12 and 15. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- August 1992 Incident
- May 1995 Incident
- July 28, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-10-26 Publication
Why: He did not, in his own words, "have a chance to grow up like normal people, because my childhood and my teens were interrupted in the most horrendous way and taken from me". CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape between August 1992 and May 1995 when the boy was aged between 12 and 15 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to six years imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Butler on July 28, 2016.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
- The Central Criminal Court
Topics
Drugs Stage Appeal Violent Crime
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